David Crowley and the Lost Runes
by huffmanjesse
Summary: Story of David Crowley, a young boy attending the Trinity Academy of Sorcery and Enchantments.
1. Chapter 1

David Crowley and the Lost Runes

Everyone knew the name of Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One. Hero of the Wizarding World for the defeat of He Who Must Not Be Named four years ago. Even here in America, or as it is called in the world of magic "New World", Harry Potter's name and feats grew each day. One day, they said that Harry had mastered magic and reversed the Killing Curse, the next that Harry had conjured up a Dragon that ate all his enemies. Harry Potter had become a household name, a name that every Wizard knew. Soon, however, the excitement would calm down and the true story would be read school books.

A book much like the one a young boy was reading avidly atop his upper bunk. The pictures smiled and waved up at him as his unique yellow eyes absorbed the information below him. His long sandy hair framed his pale white face. His clothes were simple. Gray t-shirt, blue Levi jeans. His feet were bare, but two black sneakers lay on the floor two beds down.

The book was not the only thing peculiar about this boys room. On the floor lay several more thick books, all of similar make to the one the boy was currently reading. They were scattered about the room, in places that made it evident that they had already been read. In the far corner, near the small picture window, was a pewter cauldron filled with unusual objects. Scales, scrolls, and little containers of unknown items rested atop the large pile inside the cauldron. On the desk, a few scrolls had been opened and a single sentence had been written by the quill that lay next to it.

"My name is David Crowley."

David was turning 14 this year and had received an unusual letter a month prior, which lay opened and unfurled next to the parchment. Fixed in the top margin was a highly ordinate shield emblem, divided into three separate pieces. The upper left was an Eagle with a snake in one talon and a wand in the other, its background was a deep red. The upper right was a large wave that seemed to twinkle on the page, the wave littered with thousands of tiny books, its background was a dark blue. The bottom middle, the last, was a sword covered in ordinate diamonds, stuck into a black onyx surrounded by a thick forest, its background was a rich green. In the middle was a huge diamond that seemed real enough to lift from the page. Below it was a thick text that seemed to be written by hand in small print.

_**David Arcaid Crowley**_

_Oregon_

_To Mr. David Crowley,_

_ We are pleased to inform you that you have hereby been excepted to attend Trinity Academy of Sorcery and Enchantment. Under the teachings of the finest teachers in the New World, you shall receive a magical education that will allow you to proceed to a career in the Wizarding World at the end of your five-year term here in our halls. Room and Board are provided year round if you wish to extend your stay throughout the holidays. Below is a list of rules you are expect to follow under mandate of Headmaster Alucarda Elemanty and the Minister of Magic. Punishment for breaking said rules is determined both by severity and the judgment of a Professor._

_No magic is to be performed by a student under the age of eighteen outside of school grounds without permission from a Professor._

_No curses, jinxes, or dark magic may be performed against any person or creature at all times._

_Magical items may not be brought in or leave school grounds without prior examination or written permission from Headmaster Elemanty._

_No harassment of any kind to fellow students or faculty._

_Also attached is a list of tools you will be required to bring for your classes and may be purchased at any nearby Wizarding store. Financial Aid available. We look forward to your arrival, Mr. Crowley, and wish you the best of health._

_Sincerely,_

_Jacob L. Merlin_

_Assistant Headmaster_

David had read the letter only once since he had received it. The names were odd, but one name caught his eye. Merlin. His thoughts drifted off to tales of King Arthur and his Knights. The Sisters had asked him about it several times, but he refused to believe it for several days before he heard a loud tapping noise on his window late one evening. A large brown owl was outside his window, knocking on the window with its large beak. David had the entire room to himself, and did not hesitate to let the owl in, however curious it seemed to him. The owl hooted in thanks and flew over to his desk, where a plate of old sandwiches lay. It dropped its letter and proceeded to nip pieces of the nearest sandwiches.

The letter contained an explanation of his situation as a new student and directions to the nearest store in which to purchase his school supplies. It also explained that David would be picked up and taken to the train to Triad Academy on Sept. 19th.

David was an orphan by technicality. His parents had left him alone at an old church when he was three. His hair was a sandy brown, and long enough to tickle his back when he looked up. His parents were normal non-Wizards, who did not know how to react when David accidentally set the cat on fire after it scratched him. He was a handsome boy and quite intelligent for his age. His father had been from Ireland, David remembered. His Mother was an Asian- American with pale skin and long black hair. He could not remember their names or recall their faces. The letter explained that he was a "Muggle-born", a Wizard born to an all non-magic family and no ties to the Wizarding World. They asked that David not worry, as his situation was an average thing, and many students at the school were also Muggle-born.

"I need to go to Portland." David said to Sister Ann, his caretaker, one evening while she was settling in. Sister Ann set down her paper and looks at him intently. David was never the type of child to speak to the Sister willingly, so his announcement had seemingly caught her attentions.

"Why on Earth do you need to go to Portland?" Sister Ann wondered. "Does it have something to do with that strange letter your receive a few days ago?" Sister Ann always was quick at guessing these sorts of things.

"I can go alone." David continued. "I know the bus routes, all I need is a few dollars for bus fare."

"David, you still have yet to explain to me why you need to go." Sister Ann insisted. David saw by her expression that this was something she was not going to give into.

"I have been excepted into an Academy for gifted young men and women." David answered stiffly, picking his words carefully. "I need to go to Portland to purchase supplies listed in the letter."

"A school?" Sister Ann said in amazement. "But, I have not heard of any such thing. No teachers have been here to interview you, nor have they notified the church. How did you get in?"

"I think it might have something to do with my parents." David lied. Sister Ann looked like she would not believe it for a second before visibly relaxing.

"What kind of school is it?" asked Sister Ann, looking at her paper again. David had no idea how to answer, his mind raced through the possible answers.

"I- It's a Boarding School. That's all I know right now." David admitted.

"A Boarding School? What is the name?"

"Trinity Academy." replied David.

"Never heard of it." Sister Ann grumbled. David stood still for as he waited for her to continue, but after several moments, he was beginning to think that Sister Ann had forgotten he was there. David cleared his throat and Sister Ann peered over her paper again.

"Yes?"

"Ummm...about the money." David started.

"Yes yes. You can go, but Father Thomas will accompany you."

"Father Thomas? But Sister, I am-"

"-a fourteen year old boy." Sister Ann replied firmly. "He will accompany you or you will not go at all." David felt his throat tighten.

"Very well. Thank you, Sister." David conceded.

"Good night, David. May the Lord be with you." she said as he left. David felt as if he had swallowed an entire apple. How on Earth was he going to find this place with Father Thomas following him wherever he went?

The next morning, David was shaken awake. He lifted his head to see Father Thomas' bald head crown over the edge of his bunk. Father Thomas was a small man, shorter than most of the children at the Orphanage. He wore giant spectacles, shaved his head everyday, and wore and odd assortment of clothes. Father Thomas even wore a yellow parka, a poncho, overalls, and rain boots to a gathering. Father Thomas would also say the most unusual things when he thought he was alone. Once, David even saw him trying to talk to the television and asking it how it worked.

"Wake up, little David." Father Thomas said softly, shaking him once more.

"Wha- What time is it?" David asked sleepily.

"It is six o'clock, David." he replied. " Get ready because we are leaving in an hour, and its a forty-five minute walk to the bus stop." Father Thomas said this all very fast, which was the only speed he knew. The Father was out the door before David had time to climb down from his bunk, but he could hear the fast-paced steps receding down the hall.

Father Thomas was waiting by the time we was finished getting ready. He had a backpack on that was a violent shade of pink, a large gardener's hat, a suit vest with a tie dye shirt on under it, sweatpants and yellow rain boots. David groaned internally at how embarrassing the trip was going to be. Following silently, David waited as Father Thomas fumbled about his clothes for the keys to the front gate. This was a regular occurrence, as the Father was prone to forget where had placed things, sometimes even searching for hours before he found it. Father Thomas seemed to find what he was looking for, and approached the gate. Instead of the tell-tell clink of the key sliding into the lock, David could have swore he heard Father Thomas mutter, " Aloha, Mora."

"Left breast pocket. Don't forget." Father Thomas said to himself. David made sure to remember it himself, since the Father would most likely forget within the hour.

The bus ride was rather uneventful, besides the stares that Father Thomas received. Portland has a saying, "Keep Portland Weird." It was not uncommon for people to wear clothes just for the shock value, so as soon as they entered the city, Father Thomas was just one of a thousand. They got off on Couch, since Father Thomas was partial to a violinist that often played on the sidewalk there. David had to admit, the man was very talented. Original songs flowed from the musician's electric violin, and the added effects turned the music into a bliss. David normally did not have any money to give the man, but Father Thomas agreed, and David walked away with a fresh new copy of the musician's CD.

The map told them to go to the Pearl District. Father Thomas did not ask questions as David lead the way, in a different direction than they normally went, since the stores were usually a bit more pricey. David still had not thought of a way to rid himself of Father Thomas.

"This is it." David stated, looking at a street sign to double check his location. Deep inside, David felt like the drain has been pulled and everything he was hoping was escaping. The map, lead him to a city park. Nearly in tears, David began to tear the map, but a hand clasped on his wrist. Father Thomas took the paper from him and looked at it.

"I wouldn't do that. You're going to need this later." Said Father Thomas, who reached into his left breast pocket. He withdrew a long stick and began looking around.

"Concelim." he muttered, a brief puff of yellow light seeping from the stick. Everyone around them suddenly stopped noticing them, as if they were invisible. People were walking around them, but there was no sign that they recognized that people were standing there moments before. David had just witnessed his first magic.

"So, you are going to be attending Trinity Academy of Sorcery and Enchantment this Fall, are you boy?" Father Thomas wondered, pointing the magic stick at the paper. "Revelio. Rigors." There was a hum followed by a stream of red light , and the paper went completely rigid. Father Thomas handed the paper to David. Where the directions had once been, was a whole new set of directions from his current location.

"But...how?" David wondered.

"No young witch or wizard is allowed to be without supervision by another of our kind." Father Thomas replied.

"So you and the Sister's are all...?" asked David, his question trailing off.

"No. Just me." he replied with a smile. " It took a pretty good Confundus Charm to be able to take you here. That Sister Ann is one shrewd woman."

"What? You didn't think you could buy magical supplies with Muggle money, did you?" Father Thomas wondered when he looked at David's face. "Not many banks do Muggle currency exchange. Except perhaps Gringotts in Great Britain."

"Umm..I...uh...Muggle?"

"Non-Magical Folk." the Father replied.

"Erm." blushed David.

"No problem. We'll start from the basics. This is a wand." Father Thomas explained, holding up his wand as an example. "In the Wizarding World, it is the tool for which witches and wizards are able to use magic with ease. There are other forms of magic, but you will learn about that in school. They are all different, and normally suit the owner in some form. Mine, for instance, is made from Birch, 13 3/4 inches long, springy, with a unicorn hair core."

" Here is some money." David had a bag of coins poured into his hand. There were big gold ones the size of a quarter, silver ones about the size of a nickel, and little tiny bronze ones the size of a dime. There were a lot of silver and bronze coins , but only 2 gold coins.

"The big gold ones are called Galleons. The silver coins are Sickles, and the small ones are Knuts. We have plenty of the little ones and that will not get us very far. That is why we are going to retrieve some more from your tuition funds. Listen carefully now, because I do not want to repeat myself. The gold Galleon is worth the most. Seventeen silver Sickles equals the the same amount as One Galleon, and 29 bronze Knuts equal One Sickle. Got it?" David quickly did the math in his head and made sure he had it all correct.

"Got it." David replied, looking at the coins with renewed interest. Father Thomas seemed impressed but said nothing.

"Shall we be on our way then, boy?" David looked up at Father Thomas and began following the new directions, which lead deeper into the park. It followed a the winding concrete path until a small ornate fountain surrounded by a seating area. Birds here were used to people, and retreated only when they were a few feet away. Once they scattered, David noticed a ordinate pattern to the brickwork below his feet. Father Thomas brushed past him and proceeded to walk into the water of the fountain, which explained why he had worn the rain boots. David mentally noted this with a mild irritation before climbing in as well. The Father held out his hand and placed it against a stone, then pointed his wand at the ground.

"You might want to come grab on, boy." he called. David raced forward and placed his hand against the cool stone just as Father Thomas uttered a single word, "Descendo." Below his feet, David heard what sounded like a lock sliding out of place. The whole fountain rotated and small holes drained the water. David's stomach lurched. He had a fear of heights, and suddenly his vertigo kicked in. His instinct told him that he was no longer on solid ground, but high up. Very, very high up. He would have run, but his hand was stuck to the stone, and wouldn't come away. He was beginning to panic. The ground slid apart in two directions, and even though he felt like he was on sure footing, he saw that he was suspended mid-air, above a cavern that seemed thousands of feet down. Panic did not even begin to explain the emotions raging through David, who was too scared to move.

"This...might be unpleasant." Father Thomas simply said, and then, they began to fall.

The fountain pulled them down faster than they could possibly fall. Somehow, they were protected from the wind as they plunged deep into the ground. They passed through the underground net of wires and plumbing, and went deeper. David wanted to throw up, the speed of the descent was getting to him, the height alone made his head spin. Only good thing was that David could see the bottom getting closer really fast. It was an underground lake and they were not slowing down.

"Um, Father Thomas?" David yelled, trying to yell over the rush of the wind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two.**

The fountain pulled them down faster than they could possibly fall naturally. Somehow, they were protected from the wind as they plunged deep into the earth. They passed through the underground net of wires and plumbing, and went deeper than he thought possible. David wanted to throw up, the speed of the descent was getting to him, the height alone made his head spin. Only good thing was that David could see the bottom getting closer really fast. He was confused about whether or not this was a good thing. Getting close enough made the decision for him. It was an underground lake and they were not slowing down.

"Um, Father Thomas?" David yelled, trying to yell over the rush of the wind. No matter how

loud David might yell, nothing could reach beyond the deafening roar of air blowing past them. Something was moving to his left side. David looked over just as something large and covered in scales the size of medieval shields, which were nearly gray in color. That single momentary glance was all he could see before something else caught his attention. The water. David yelled in terror as they were about to hit. His mind raced, thinking about everything he wished he had done. They plunged harmlessly into the water, despite their speed, and David felt a cold chill spread throughout his body. His entire field of vision exploded into a million points of light that scattered across the universe. He could feel the water passing over his skin, but he was not getting wet. He was able to still breath, and before he could test anything, they had breached the other side, and his fear of heights returned. It was almost like they were sky diving, the ground a few miles below beyond a thin merry layer of trees. It was beautiful, David admitted. Even his fear and the massive drop did not take away the beauty of this place.

There were snowy mountains along the far edges of the circular structure which they had entered. Several massive waterfalls were pouring through tunnels that littered the cave walls, which looked like clear blue sky. They formed rivers that flowed toward the center and met in a large lake directly below David. In the middle of this lake, was a city, its many bridges reaching out across the water to the surrounding land masses, which were populated by thick forests and meadows. Far away, David could see other groups of people arriving through other entries. One group was on an angel-like statue that pulled its passengers along the water like a strange boat. David screamed again as something flew by him. He noticed that it was people sitting on broomsticks, flying gleefully through the air.

They were beginning to slow down as they approached the city, their path leading them to the top of a tall tower in the center of the city. Rather than falling he was was turned upright, and it felt as if David was standing in an elevator as it reached its floor. When they landed, David fell back and sat on the ground, his entire body weak and shaking. Even though he was still high in a tower, David felt so much better to have sure footing he could stand on and see. Father Thomas regarded David with a mild curiosity.

"You okay, boy?" Father Thomas asked. David nodded soundlessly. He never had told anyone of his fear of heights before, so he felt foolish, standing there trying to calm himself down. Father Thomas came closer and pointed his wand between David's eyes. Before David could react, Father Thomas simply said, "_Aviscura_." David instantly felt better, his nausea was gone, and even though he was up high, his fear was greatly diminished. He looked up at the Father with a smile.

"Better?" Father Thomas asked, smiling slightly. David nodded.

"Where are we?" David wondered. He looked up to see the ceiling also looked like the sky, complete with a bright sun. The size of the cavern was beyond belief. It was three time bigger than the city they had just left.

"This is the biggest city in the New World, Oasis. That pool of water is bewitched to teleport people to this location." Father Thomas explained.

"So if we are no longer in Oregon, then where are we?" David wondered.

"Lake Michigan." replied Father Thomas. "Or below it anyway." David jaw went slack.

"Boy, you need to understand something. Oasis is the place were the entire New World come for their needs, from supplies to money, it all comes through here at some point or another. This is the Hub of the New World, so mind your manners." David nodded obediently.

A small portly man with a thin mop of black hair approached them. He was carrying a clipboard and seemed in a hurry to get to them. He pulled out his wand and gave the wall a jab. A desk, complete with files and several cabinets rose from the floor. With a wave, he conjured them up chairs to sit in, as he got comfortable.

"Welcome welcome." The man greeted cheerfully. "I am Arthur Luke, Supervisor of Muggle-born transfer and care. It is my job, to explain to you our rules and how our world works. I will by asking you name." At the end of this, Mr. Luke. placed a feather quill on the paper before him and let go. It held itself upright and he waited for David's reply. Before David could reply, Mr. Luke pointed his wand into the air and said, " _Securo_." A clear bubble appeared over their heads and the sounds around them died out.

"Um...David Crowley." he replied. The quill began writing rapidly, the constant scratching it made slightly bothered David.

"Middle Name?" Mr. Luke asked when the paused.

"Arcaid." David replied. As soon as he replied, the pen resumed its work.

"Okay Mr. Crowley. I need to explain some things to you. It will be difficult for you to adjust. You Muggle-born always have trouble getting used to how things work here. Without magic, Muggles turned to technology. Phone, planes, cars, and computers. All things that Muggles created to make life easier. We do not. We have magic, and most wizards to not even know how a plane stays in the air. Do you understand so far?"

"Yes sir." David replied. "That will not be a problem." Mr. Luke seemed to snort and looked at the paper on which the quill was writing on.

"Says here that your parents abandoned you and that you have been under the care of Muggles for the last 11 years." Mr. Luke announced. "You do extremely well in school, highly regarded by your teachers as an intelligent boy. Your physical prowess is also above average for your age, but it seems like your social skills are practically nonexistent. You have the skills, but you prefer to be alone. Tell me, Mr. Crowley, what is it you want to be when you grow up?" The question stunned David. Even though he was almost 15, he had not given it really any thought. He did not really have any preference for any vocation, and could not see himself doing anything exciting.

"I...don't know, sir." David admitted. The quill began writing once again, which Mr. Luke read silently, occasionally nodding and grunting.

"Believe it or not, I hear that every year. Especially from you Muggle-born." he replied. David realized within a few moments that the man was very expressive with his hands, as if he was trying to help David visualize what he was saying.

"What is your favorite color?" he said suddenly, without looking up.

"Sorry sir?" The question seemed a bit odd from the other questions.

"See that quill?" Mr. Luke asked, gesturing towards it as it wrote. "It is made so that it writes down your personality and any information we may be able to retrieve. Not only that, but it is pulling some needed information from your mind, and these questions make it so that the magic and retrieve the information it needs." David glanced back at the quill as it paused.

"My favorite color is green. I like forest colors. Nature. Books. Water. Those types of things."

"No, you like the solitude. " Mr. Luke replied matter of factly. "Says so right here in your information. My my my, you are quite a bright young man. Athletic abilities are pretty decent as well. Your social abilities are lacking. Not very confrontational, but not afraid to stick up for yourself. Interesting." David was starting to feel uncomfortable being examined like this. He did not like not being able to keep things private. Mental he thought about nothing more than than wish. He was tired of them pulling information from him without his consent.

Mr. Luke laughs merrily. "A slight talent for Occlumency. Against a skilled wizard it is nothing, but against this little guy it is more than enough. Very well, Mr. Crowley." He picked the quill of the paper and it disappeared into smoke. The paper rolled it self up and sealed itself. On a small card on the outside, David could read a small name. Alucarda Elemanty , which David remembered to be the Headmistress of Trinity Academy. Father Thomas had interested himself with the activities within the city, and David nearly forgot about him until Mr. Luke greeted him him a hearty handshake.

"Thomas! How good to see you! How have you been?"

"I've been doing alright, Arthur. I see you finally got that promotion you wanted."

"That I did." Mr. Luke smiled brightly. "But the workload is more than I bargained for."

Father Thomas laughed. "I bet it is. And how many students this year?" Mr. Luke immediately sobered up, like someone had given him sour milk. Father Thomas looked at him curiously.

"This year, Trinity Academy of Sorcery and Enchantment shall be home to one hundred and forty seven students." Mr. Luke replied. Father Luke looked like someone had just died.

"For all five years?" he asked incredulously.

Mr. Luke grunted. "Fifth year has 34 students, the third and fourth years together have 54, only 26 second years have returned. And this young fellow, makes the third student to check in. So far, it is looking grim."

"There are only 18 first years?" David wondered.

"Boy, that is how many students were invited to join. Seems people are still afraid of You-Know-Who."

"Fuck! It has been four years! For Christ's sake, how long are they going to hide?" Father Thomas asked furiously.

"He has come back once before, Tom. They are just afraid that he will returned again." Mr. Luke replied calmly.

"Rubbish. Enough time has passed for people to begin returning. There something you're not telling me Arthur." Father Thomas stated, glaring at Mr. Luke, probing for information with his eyes.

"I am not allowed to speak of it." Mr. Luke said with finality before brightening up. "Well, you two better get along now. Lots of shopping to do!" Mr. Luke hurried them along into a small elevator and smiled warmly as the doors shut them in. David was presently surprised. Instead of the dropping feeling that normally forced him to use stairs, the doors instantly opened to reveal that they were on the ground floor. The city was extremely busy. People of all nationalities hurried about, some on foot, some zoomed overhead on broomsticks. David even saw a man traveling about by a bewitched pinwheel hat, which made noised than reminded him of a helicopter as it flew by.

Father Thomas took the lead as he began walking down the broad roadway. David was sure to keep one eye on him as he looked about at all the fantastical and interesting items. They passed by a pet shop full of owls and other animals, a joke shop full of children, and a book shop. It was the book shop that interested David the most. He stopped and admired all of the books, tomes, and scrolls in tall shelves all about the store, which covered the entire square block.

A new book was on display, several copies were stacked high behind the counter. A long line of witches and wizards of all ages were in line to buy a copy. David circled to another to get a better look at the book. Etched deep into the black hardcover, were scarlet and gold lettering that said a single sentence. The Boy Who Lived. David hardly noticed his head tilt to the side in confusion. On the cover was a moving picture of a boy in his late teens. Long unruly black hair covered his head. Bright green eyes peered out from a pair of glasses. For a moment, David felt like the eyes were actually staring at him. The boy seemed sheepish, smiling feebly and silently asking the customers to relax. Father Thomas yanked on his left sleeve, and David looked over at him.

"Who is the Boy Who Lived?" David wondered aloud. Many people who overheard in line simply stared as if he asked if human tasted good. Father Thomas wiped his face and sighed as he looked at the book that has interested David.

"Well...simply put he saved the entire Wizarding world four years ago from He-Who-Must-Not Be-Named." Father Thomas replied. David gave him a confused look. "Look, I will only say his name once. V...Voldemort." A few nearby wizards flinched and covered their ears protectively.

"Is this the same guy who Mr. Luke called You-Know-Who?" Father Thomas simply nodded in reply. "Why the strange nicknames? Why not just say his name?" David wondered.

"Because people are afraid of him. They fear his name."

"But, it's just a name." David scoffed.

"You don't know what it was like, boy. Everyone fears him. Even after his death they are afraid." Father Thomas explained. "Look, later, we will buy that book, and you will learn all about it."

David noticed that he was trying to change the subject.

"Look. I'm just saying that it seems dumb. People can say Hitler's name without fear. Or Osama Bin Laden. So why this Voldemort clown?" Father Thomas flinched but David ignored it.

"Look, just do not say his name." Father Thomas implored.

"...Whatever." David sighed, relenting. Father Thomas gave his a look before leading the way once again. The city was indeed very expansive. David noticed several of the tall buildings were in fact apartment buildings. There were city parks filled with creatures David remembered from fantasy novels. One park, filled with a dense forest, had a centaur talking kindly to a small group of children. There were signs of magic everywhere. A fountain where the water sprayed into the air and transformed into multicolored bubbles. Outside the shops, many magical items were on display, to showcase the owners wares. Little creatures with sharp teeth and small beady eyes walked by, chattering on in a harsh and sharp language.

After close to twenty minutes, David realized they had come to their destination. A large building with thick marble columns reminded David of Roman architecture. Standing at over two hundred feet tall, the immense building was completely white, with tall evergreen trees planted in precise location. Thousands of stairs lead up to the building on all sides. Small level courtyards were etched into the stairs. Each had a tall fountain with a thin pool surrounding it, allowing the children to play inside them. Entertainers and vendors could be seen in some courtyards.

As they began ascending the stairs, David's eyes were drawn to four tall statues that lined the path up to the bank, all turned at 45 degree angles to face the stairs, and anyone approaching the bank. They were also white, and made from marble, but in their hands, they held tools made of gold, which seemed to catch the light and sparkle brilliantly. Two men and two women, David noted. The closest to him was a long haired man holding a golden shield and sword, who wore sectioned plate armor. He stood on a pile of black stone that had etchings that glowed a faint green. Across from the path stood a woman, hair pulled back into a loose bun, long flowing robes nearby hid the gold wand in her hand. In her other hand, we held a ball of real fire that seemed to hold itself mid-air. Having passed them by, David turned his attention to the statues before them. On his side was a woman, her hair blown back in an unseen breeze, her eyes staring straight at where David stood. Around her neck was a golden necklace which bore a symbol that matched the one upon the golden book in her hand. The remaining statue was obscured behind a cowl that covered the man's face. He appeared to be walking on water, which was filled with thousands of Galleons. This man also wore a necklace, which bore a different symbol, and in his hands, he carried nothing, just a small ball of light in the center of his palms.

"The founders of the New World." Father Thomas said, stopping before the final statue and tossed in a Galleon. "For luck." he added with a glance at David. David pulled a Galleon out of his pocket and looked at his. He made his own luck, he thought, as he returned in to his pocket. David paused when he reached the top step to catch his breath and look about the plateau which the bank rested. There were small fires every 30 feet, sitting in a pit of brass, they resembled the Olympic torch. They surrounded the building, yet they did not burn the trees that were planted nearby. Father Thomas looked back at David, before continuing inside. David had to jog to catch up to him.

The inside of the bank was more humble than the outside. Windows lined the walls, but David noticed that none of them showed what was outside, but each held a different scene. Counters were everywhere around them, the tellers at each were facing the lines of people before them. Above them, suspended midair, where signs that stated their various duties, so the customers would know which line to enter to complete their business. Father Thomas walked immediately to the line in the middle, which had no customers waiting. Trinity Academy Savings and Loans.

David jumped when he noticed that the teller was no a human, but a squat creature with a long nose and evil eyes. He had seen a few of them outside. Its mouth curled into an evil sneer that revealed the many small pointed teeth. Father Thomas elbowed his ribs.

"Don't stare, boy. They don't like it when you do that." he whispered. "And try not to ask too many questions. I want to get out of here as fast as possible."

"What...IS that?" David wondered in disgust. It smelled like a mix between onion and wet dog.

"That, boy, is a Goblin. Mean little bastards, but mighty smart." he replied. "And very cruel. They do not like humans much, I suppose."

"Where are we?" David thought aloud, forgetting to whisper.

"You, young wizard, are in Atlas. Second in security only to Gringotts, in Great Britain." the goblin replied coarsely. "I am Grublock. I assume you are hear to purchase a loan for Trinity Academy of Sorcery and Enchantment?"

"Yes, he is." Father Thomas answered, stepping closer. The goblin did not seem to be pleased to deal with Father Thomas, but grunted as he retrieved a few papers and handed them over, requesting that they fill out the necessary information. The Father cast a dirty look and walked over to the seating area and set the papers down on the chair next to him.

"Never, ever, go into business with a goblin without knowing exactly what you are getting." he growled. "They will try to short change you, talk you into deals that are crooked, and rob you of every penny they can if you are not wary, got that boy?" David sat down and looked at the papers. He read every line carefully and memorized the information before he began filling it out. It was a loan, of sorts. For every coin that David took out, he would have to pay back with interest when he was done. When he was done, Father Thomas took it and, with a wave of his wand, made and exact replica of the paper.

"Goblins have, on more than one occasion, changed the information on the paper after the student has turn it in. Run up the interest rate, or altered the withdraw amount. With this, we have enough proof to win a hearing if they do. Hold onto it tightly, boy." David took the offered paper and slid it deep into his pocket.

"How much are you taking out?" Father Thomas asked, getting up and stretching.

"500 Galleons." David replied. Father Thomas coughed in surprise, nearly choking.


	3. Chapter 3

"500?" he asked hoarsely, still hacking. "Are you mad?" David waved him off and approached Grublock, who did not seem to be pleased with his arrival. David handed the application to the goblin who peered at David as he read the amount. David held his eyes with an icy glare.

"Why so much? You will have a hard time paying it all back." Father Thomas replied.

"This way I am covered, no matter the situation. I can buy what I need. Also, I plan on purchasing far more books than the curriculum requires. Better make it 5000." David simply stated, not taking his eyes from the goblin, Grublock. "I have lived my entire life with little. I will not spend my school days the same way."

"Very well." Grublock replied in a serious tone. He hopped from his stool and opened the door behind the counter. "Follow me, Mr. Crowley." David moved without hesitation, but stopped just past the doors.

"It's my life. My decision." David said over his shoulder. Father Thomas did not say anything and David did not look at him. He took it to mean that the Father was not going to stop him. David vaguely wondered why the Father was not coming along. Grublock led them through a door into a small dark room. Standing on his toes, the goblin removed a key from the wall and slid it into a lock that disappeared into the wall. Light popped on over their head, and the room slowly slid up. It was an elevator, David realized as he watched the roof move away from them. He did not think magic would ever stop amusing him in its uses.

"We do not keep this amount in the bank." Grublock explained. "It is far below the city in the vault. It will take some time for us to reach the tunnels to it." David nodded his acknowledgment, and quietly waited. The stone of the wall was changing. It looked to be solid, unrefined metal, several thousand feet thick.

"What is Gringotts?" David asked his companion.

"Gringotts is the most secure bank in all the world. It lies in Diagon Alley in Great Britain." Grublock replied sternly. "We are just another branch of Gringotts.

"Is that place more secure? This place seems pretty safe."

"Hardly. It may be the most secure, but it is no longer considered the best." the goblin growled.

"Why not?" David wondered.

"Gringotts was broken into. Twice." he said, grabbing a set of metal objects that clanged loudly when they collided with them.

"Really? Wow. How much money was stolen?"

"None." Grublock sneered. "We are here." The Goblin pulled the key out, and the door opened to reveal an extremely vast tunnel. The ceiling was low, only a few inches above David's head, but the length seemed to stretch on for eternity. To their right was an old mining cart that looked to have a couch inside of it. The goblin motioned that he would like David to enter first, which he did without comment. There was no chain, and the tunnel was completely straight, so David imagined that they would be propelled by some sort of magic.

"Put this in your mouth." Grublock said, handing him a small package. David opened it, and inside was a brand-new mouthpiece.

"What is this for?" David said hesitantly, watching the goblin pop one into his mouth. David could not help but notice that the goblin seemed nervous.

"To prevent you from biting your tongue or damaging your teeth." At that explanation, David quickly shoved it into his mouth and held onto the rail before him. The cart started to move as soon as his hands touched the metal, the thrust threatening to break David's grip. His teeth gritted with effort as the small cart continued to accelerate, rattling on his rails. David yelled into his mouthpiece and could hear Grublock grunting in similar protest. They reached a fork and the cart turned left. Right, left, left, middle, right, left, left, second from the left, down. Fork after fork rushed past them until David lost all sense of direction. It went on for what felt like hours. David continuously hoped that it was over, only to endure several more minutes of the excruciating journey. His arms ached with lactic acid, his joints were on fire, their ligaments straining against the force. It was several moments before he realized his eyes were clenched shut. He tried to open them only to have his eyes dry up and tear, which made him close them again. Based on the sound, David imagined that they were on a thin bridge hundred of feet above the ground passing a waterfall. He felt a warm tingling sensation creep into his body as the sound passed over them and was left behind.

"Hold your breath!" Grublock yelled, next to him. David obeyed. They plunged into a liquid that was so cold David nearly screamed in shock. His body was in protest against the cold, shivering so hard he could hear the bar rattling. His lungs seemed to burn as much as his arms, his only desire was for it all to end. He wanted to take a breath, but he could tell the temperature of the liquid would not only drown him, but his lungs would freeze. Red hot tears seeped from the corners of his eyes. Now he knew why Father Thomas has remained behind. This was hell. He knew that if it was not for the couch, David would have fallen a long time ago. David felt that they continued to race through twists and turns as he body lurched side to side. His mind raced for an escape. All at once, they were out. David could feel air rush by as his body dragged in huge mouthfuls.

"Hold your breath and cover your eyes!" David mind raced in concern, but against his will, his body reacted, and his breath stopped just after exhaling. Heat, like fires of a volcano, made David's body lock up. The wetness that covered his body was the only thing that protected him. It was accompanied by a ferocious roar that made David's ears ring. After it went away, David realized he was completely dry. He inhaled again and smelled smoke. His eyes opened to realize that his clothes were scorched in several spots. His right sleeve was still on fire. David shook his arm to put out the flame, and realized his mistake. One arm was not enough to hold him upright, and his grip slipped, driving him back into the couch. David hooked his feet under a pipe inside the cart and hoped that he did not fall out. He did not think he had much to worry about. They had stopped accelerating, and now were traveling along at a constant speed.

It was enough that David was able to move about, even if it was with a bit of effort. They continued to take turns through the tunnels that seemed like they never ended. David noticed that they were headed toward a great yellow light ahead, its warm light reflected off of the ancient stone that encompassed the tunnels. David leaned forward and regained his grip on the railing as they neared the entrance. Grublock held a hand and David saw an invisible barrier shimmer, then warp before breaking as they entered. Beyond was more track, suspended midair my magic. They entered a vast cavern, bigger than any structure David ever thought possible in his wildest dreams. What amazed him more was the source of the yellow glow. Millions of torches illuminated huge heaping piles of coins. Gold, silver, and copper in massive stacks rose high above their heads in all directions. It was a mountain range of riches stretching for miles. The ceiling was nothing but large purple amethyst crystals pointing down at them from their perch, glowing and twinkling in the torchlight almost as if they had been enchanted.

"That is the wealth of the Wizarding World." Grublock explained. "Every branch of Gringotts in the world is interconnected by this railway system."

"Where are we?" David asked, looking around stupidly, as if he would find a sign to signify their location.

"This sunken place serves as the Vault of Wizards, and is the most protected location in all of history. It protects far more than money, so you are not to leave my side. Unless you wish to suffer the rest of your life in never-ending torment."

"Why are we here? Couldn't you have given me my money back in the back?"

"You are withdrawing money from this fund as part of your government loan. Normally, we give you your coin upfront, but this amount is a direct transaction." the goblin growled. "And if you take a coin more than instructed, we will both be trapped here for eternity. As such, you are to touch NOTHING!" David nodded quietly.

"Do people come here often?"

Grublock replied with a flash of teeth. "The money in the bank is replenished by magical means. We do not come down here. No one has entered this place in over a hundred years." Wonders surrounded them, as they started to descend lower into the cavern, toward a large stone platform in the center. It had changed from gold to artifacts, items that were obviously magical, even to David's untrained eye. There were relics from every era, spanning across the time of humanity. From his history classes, David was able to pick out small items from certain civilizations, including things he thought existed only in fairy tails. David turned to ask about them, but realized they had been erased from his memory. He could remember seeing the object, and that it held some magical aspect, but nothing of its shape or origin. Turning back to the piles, David tried to utter what the items were aloud, but the words were blanked out in the middle of his sentences just as he forgot them.

"This place is filled with old magic. Different from the kind your kind uses today. Secrecy is part of the weave of that magic, protecting the very knowledge of important items from living memory." Grublock replied. "If you tried to describe anything about this place to another, the knowledge would be erased from their minds as soon as you finished speaking. That is part of the security, and one that is very vital."

"Then why can I remember? Will the knowledge of this place leave my mind as soon as I leave?"

"No. By entering the building alone, you were proven trustworthy. Barriers placed upon the steps prevents those who wish to steal from our halls from every reaching them. Our trip here, was also a test. Both by being here, and fulfilling the loan, you have entered a binding magical contract with these halls, thus you are trusted with the knowledge. The reason you are not able to recall the items and relics about us, is because the magic recognizes that you are not here for them, but for the money. Besides, I would wager that all of those magical devices are made by goblins." Grublock rubbed his chin thoughtfully at this last part. David watched as the goblins eyes went blank for an instant before returning to their usual blackness, that he magic has just erased the memory from his mind. "The route here is impossible to memorize, and there are a few hundred dragons charged with protecting this room alone, along with several thousand spells to prevent people from ever reaching this place.

They were slowing down. The platform was a scare kilometer away as the cart began to slowly decelerate as it approached its destination. David had never before longed to stand on his own two legs. He realized, with a jolt, that they would have to make a return journey, one which David doubted would be pleasant.

The platform itself was magnificent. Towering high above them, it split into two parts half way, which curved around so that the points nearly touched. In between the two, was a blue star, twinkling as if in a field of glitter. It made an unusual but pleasant chiming noise that felt like it resonated with something inside his chest. The tower itself was completely smooth without a single seam or scratch in its stonework and slowly rotated around in a clockwise motion. It was a lustrous murky gray, which matched the color of the large platform with eight sides like an octagon. There were four paths that lead off in different directions. David could feel powerful surges coming from each of these and guess that it was extremely powerful magic. It all seemed to make the air hum with force.

Imbedded in the tower, was a clear piece of glass that glowed as Grublock approached it. Carefully, Grublock stroked a single finger in the middle of the glass, which hissed as if burnt and melted away easily. Each time, the glass melted quicker until nothing remained but a small crystal that seemed to cast rainbows in all directions. Grublock turned to him and motioned for him to take it before bowing low. David hesitated before stepping forward and reaching out to the small object. He felt resistance, but it fell away before he had time to pay any heed to it. It was cold, as if it was ice, but David did not release his grip as he pulled it free. Grublock straightened up, and David immediately noticed something different. As if in a trance, Grublock stood there straight, his eyes showing nothing, as if his mind was off in some far off place. Without saying anything, the strange goblin began walking down a path that lead to what David figured to be west, the metal objects in his hands, clanging loudly as he went. David silently followed through many intersections, until he forgot which why they were headed. Walls of stone directed them through the thousands of rows of magical creations, past things that David vaguely remembered as thick books, even a series of weapons and armor, all of which remained in his memory only in the slightest wisps. It was unnerving.

Grublock stopped as they approached a large archway in a old wall. Beyond, David could see more paths, but instead of trinkets and heirlooms, there were jewels and other gems of great value. His vision was blocked by something massive walking in front of the archway. A huge red dragon, its face covered in deep scars, its eyes missing. David guessed that it was well over two hundred feet tall as it straightened out its neck. Grublock clanged his metal bars loudly, and as if afraid, the dragon slid back through the archway and growled at them. They passed the dragon without incident, and continued about their journey. It was not much longer before Grublock stopped and indicated that David could pull his gold from the pile before them.

Remembering the earlier warning, he carefully counted 5000 gold coins, and slipped them into a leather pouch that Grublock offered. As they started the return trip, the room filled with fog and David's mind slipped into a similar state. He did not remember anything about the return trip, and before he realized what had happened, he and Grublock both were in the elevator back up to the city surface. David felt refreshed, similar to the way he felt when they had felt. The entire trip was like a dream that he could barely recall. The only thing that remained that told him that it was real, was a heavy pouch of coins deep in his pocket and a badly burned sleeve.

He strolled into the bank to see the light outside was relatively darker. Father Thomas was sitting in a chair, reading an old magazine out of agitation. His foot was rocking, and the expression on his face told David that he was not happy about waiting. The Father noticed their approached and threw his magazine angrily onto the table.

"Good Heavens, boy, do you realize how long I have been sitting here?" he yelled. "FIVE! Five hours I have been here, sipping lukewarm coffee and eating these half stale peanuts! What the hell happened to you?" David strolled past the Father without paying heed to either him, or the goblin he left behind.

"No one told you to wait, old man." David sighed tersely. Father Thomas growled, but ended up following behind with a heavy sigh.

"Wand." he said. David looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. "What?" he asked.

"Before you buy anything else, we best get your wand!" Father Thomas snapped. David silently agreed. He did want a wand, like all the other wizards he had seen. To him, it meant his first taste of independence. His first step into power. He wanted to learn. As much as the books called to him, he knew that without the wand, his learned knowledge was useless.

"Fine. Wand it is." David agreed. They found the store not far away from the bank, on the main street though town. It was humble, even my normal means. Its only sign was in hammered iron that read:

"_Morrison, Blanchly, and Rowes Premium Wands. Est. 1792_"

David entered through the double doors into a building that was comfortably like a library, but instead of rows of books, he saw many stacks of thin boxes of all colors and materials. They were no thicker than four inches at most. Behind a counter sat an old man, white tufts of hair sticking out to the sides under a blue visor, which matched long robes. He had a magnifier in his eye, but quickly set it down as he saw them.

"Welcome welcome welcome!" The wizard greeted them, jogging from behind the counter to great them. "Welcome to Morrison, Blanchly, and Rowes! We sell nothing but premium wands of all shapes, sizes, and makes. If we cannot find a wand to match you, then we'll eat our shoes!" Two more men came from deep within the rows of wands and joined their college. One was tall, thin, and lanky, his long silver hair nearly swept the floor, which matched his long beard, round glasses, and brilliant emerald robe. The other was stout and round, a single patch of hair, with a blonde mustache that looked oddly like it once belongs to a walrus, wearing what could only be described as an orange business suit. David had brief thoughts of Sleeping Beauty from when he was a child and the Sisters let them watch it.

"I am Marty Rowes." The first wizard greeted them with a handshake. "These are Gary Morrison, and Alex Blanchly." Mr. Morrison, the one in green bowed dramatically, while Blanchly simply waved politely. They all turned their attention to David at once and began looking him over. As what seemed to become routine, Mr. Rowes spoke for all of them.

"Am I to assume that you are here, for a wand Mr...ummmm."

"Crowley." David offered.

"Yes yes. Mr. Crowley. Please please, take a seat here." Mr. Rowes offered a stool in the middle of the open room, his back to the register at an angle that he could look outside while they took all sort of measurements of his body. Blanchly took his hand and looked at it carefully, while grunting thoughtfully. Mr. Morrison measured his height and showed it to Mr. Rowes, who nodded, as if he agreed with what was found.

"Hmf...Muggle-born, Marty." Blanchly said, his voice deep and rough.

"Oh dear dear." Mr. Rowes muttered, tapping his fingertips across his lips. "Well no problem no problem."

"What? Is that bad?" David wondered, as Mr. Morrison measured the distance between his ears.

"No no, young man. Muggle-borns are simply harder to find matches to, is all. No worry no worry. I am certain that somewhere amongst our ware your pair is waiting. Just you wait and see. Hmm?" David was not comforted, mostly because of the way Mr. Rowes always seemed to repeat parts of his sentences. Once they finished his measurements, they all ran off into the shelves, as if each was certain they knew exactly which wand was perfect for him.

The first to reappear was Mr. Morrison, who care with an armful of several boxes. He opened the first and examined it. He handed the wand to David, but took it away moments after it was in his hand, and replaced it with another. At Mr. Morrison's silent urging, David felt the wand in his hand. It felt no different than the last one he held. Like polished wood. Mr. Morrison repeated this process until all of the wands were used and he sighed in resignation.

"Move aside, Gary, if you would." Blanchly called, as he appeared next. Mr. Morrison sadly slid the wands aside and returned to the stacks to find more wands that seemed to meet his desired. Blanchly took over the empty space and pulled out a wand. As soon as David touched it, it burned him and leaped from his hand.

"Cherry, 9 ½'', thin and flexible with a Phoenix tail feather. Good from charms." Blanchly said to himself. "Very well." He replaced the wand and slid several boxes to the side, dividing his pile in half. It wasn't long before David had another, but instead of a burn, his arm went numb and Blanchly had to pry the wand from his palm.

"Oak, 11'', slight give with a pleasant swish. Unicorn hair, if I remember right." he thought aloud.

"He will not match up with a wand you made, Blanchly." Mr. Rowes said as he set his pile next to Blanchly's.

"Fight fair." Blanchly said, without looking up as he pushed away all the boxes but one. "Here, Mr. Crowley try this one." David grasped the wand, yet felt nothing this time. Blanchly seemed to deflate a little bit and he examined it, this time silently to himself. As he replaced the wand, Mr. Rowes offered him another.

" Rosewood, 9 ½'' , inflexible, Dragon heart-string. Give it a try." David looked at the wand in his hand that felt no different that the previous one he had held. Foolishly, we flicked it like he had seen Mr. Thomas do. A puff of black smoke and the stench of rotten eggs removed the confident smile from Mr. Rowes' face.

"Oh my my, this will be difficult. Difficult indeed." Mr. Rowes muttered as he slid most of his pile away. He removed another wand and offered it hesitantly. "Pinewood, 13'', springy, several strands of unicorn hair."

David took the wand and tested it. Golden sparks flew from the end, but it felt like the wand pulled at David's soul as it did. Mr. Rowes snatched away the wand quickly and snapped it in two over his knee. David had a small cut on his palm that bleed slightly.

"Sorry about that, very sorry. But the sparks was a good sign. We are getting close. Very close indeed." Mr. Rowes remarked as he flicked his wand, fixing David's hand. he yelled as he reentered the shelves. Mr. Morrison, who had just reappeared, carefully set down his new pile, and returned to the back of the store. This continued for a while, each coming with new piles for David to test out. Some did nothing, while others did things that made the wand makers feel like they were getting closer.

"Does it always take this long?" David asked Father Thomas while the shopkeepers were away.

"No. This is far from usual. They normally have it narrowed down by now. But, between you and me, they are a bit crazy." he replied. David glanced about at all the boxes about him. He figured there were a few hundred in the piles that grew with each attempt. David wondered if they really would eat their shoes if they could not find a match.

"Marty! Blanchly!" came a soft voice. It was only until he appeared that David saw that it was Mr. Morrison. In his hand was a hard box covered in thick dark leather. It was longer than the others they had brought, and by the looks of the leather and dust, much older. Mr. Rowes and Blanchly appeared from within the shelves and walked over to peer at what Mr. Morrison wished them to look at.

"Do you recognize this?" Mr. Morrison asked them both. Both frowned and shook their heads. Mr. Rowes retrieved his magnifier and carefully took the box from Mr. Morrison.

"It is very old. Very old." Mr. Rowes remarked, looking at the case. "Older than any of us. And there is no inscription on the box, so I can not identify the maker." He carefully opened the box and frowned at its contents in deep confusion and concern.

"How odd." he simply said. He drew his wand and lifted the wand from the box and held it for all to see. It was a deep burgundy, with a handle shaped to the contours of the human hand.

"Extraordinary. The wand maker was either a genius or a mad man. "

"What are you old craftsmen talking about it." Father Thomas wondered, stepping closer to see the wand better. Mr. Rowes held the wand up a bit so that everyone could see it clearly as he continued to inspect it.

"Before standard wand lore was established, wand makers experimented with all sort of materials. Exploring the possibilities, if you will. You see, nothing on this planet starts out perfect, there must be a series of trial and error, before an excepted means is reached. It seems that this wand was made before such standards were established. It is very old, and possibly very dangerous."

"Most wands have a single core, most likely Dragon Heart string, Phoenix Tail Feather, or Unicorn Hair. This wand, however, has two different sources. One is your standard Dragon Heart-string, but from the feel of this wand, the maker procured it from an Elder Wyrm. Illegal by today's law. I cannot identify one thing. Intertwined with the heart sting is a second core that is not anything I recognize."

"Does it work?" David wondered, looking at the wand.

"See these etchings on the stem?" Mr. Rowes asked, tilting it so he could see better. There were thin crisp lines etched into the dark red of the polished wood, from the handle to the tip. The nearly pure white of the wood could be seen through the cuts.

"Yeah, I see them. What are they?"

"They, young wizard, are Runes. Old symbols of magic, not used since the time of Merlin. Classes such as Ancient Runes, are taught so that people can read these symbols. But from what I can see, they appear to be the binding. Both to protect the user from any mishaps, and to further increase the wands potency."

"If we may please continue with our business?" Father Thomas said sternly.

"Yes. Quite quite." Mr. Rowes nodded, placing the wand back in its case. David felt a twinge of both regret and relief. He had wanted that wand, its power was what he desired. David had never been satisfied himself by being average, and constantly pushed to excel above his peers. This did not make him popular by any means, but David was never one to be concerned with popularity. David knew almost nothing about the Wizarding World. He was entering a whole new realm, where no one expected anything but average things from him. It felt like poison in his veins. As the store keepers began shuffling off in search of more possible matches, David said something that made them all stiffen.

"May I try it?" Father Thomas unfolded his arms and stepped closer, giving David a stern look.

"I am against it." Mr. Rowes replied. "Such a wand is to be examined alone, before being destroyed. I will not sell such a dreadful thing to anyone."

"I want it." David argued.

"Do not act like a spoiled child." Father Thomas warned. Without looking back at him, David simply said, "I _will _have it." Mr. Morrison was the first to move. He picked up the wand and carefully placed it in David's hand.

David's whole body tensed up, it felt like he had stuck his body into an electrical outlet, his arms and legs tingled, his heart raced. His teeth hurt began he was clenching them too hard in an effort to keep under control. It was only through a conscious effort that David did not let go of the wand. Was is fighting him?, David wondered vaguely as he shook uncontrollably.

"I've seen enough!" Father Thomas growled, advancing toward David. Mr. Morrison held him back and watched with interest. Mr. Rowes and Blanchly had also come closer to observe, both with mild fascination plastered across their face.

"The wand is not rejecting him." Mr. Rowes stated.

"Then what do you call that!" the Father yelled, pointing at David, who was having trouble following the conversation.

"Normally, when a wand chooses its owner, and they meet, there can be a sudden surge of energy or a feeling that flows through the owner. This is just several times more powerful. Much more powerful. Gary, what do you think?" Mr. Morrison tilted his head to the side and took a breath.

"The wand is very old." Mr. Morrison replied, his voice far more youthful than his appearance. "Its creator made it powerful on purpose, its hunger to fulfill its purpose must match. By demanding the wand, it recognized him?" He tilted his head the other way and held his chin thoughtfully. "The sensations are something akin to joy...and fulfillment."

"Go on, boy, give it a try." Father Thomas said, attempting to speed up the process. Mr. Morrison tuned him so that he faced the empty area between the door and the rest of the store. The sensation was gone, and David only felt a comfortable bond between him and his wand. David looked at it in awe and in his left ear, Mr. Rowes said, " Elm, 15'' , stiff and sturdy, polished dark red. The core is Elder Wyrm heart-string."

The rooms walls felt like they were pushed away from him, miles away so that nothing would bother him, and then it felt like someone poured molten lead into his chest and let it course through his veins. The sensation kept growing and growing until he felt like he was going to pop. Hesitantly, Mr. Rowes indicated that David was free to test his wand whenever he felt like it. Feeling stupid, David flicked his hand in a backward motion, as he had done with so many of the other wands. It felt like the sensation was drained from his arm, and into the wand, where he felt it magnify several times over and then a flash of light and a loud deafening sound. David was thrown from the stool, and collided against the wall behind the counter. His head hurt and his ears were ringing. Every muscles ached as he pulled himself together. But at least the sensations had stopped, he thought thankfully.

Someone had their hand on his shoulders, and they were trying to say something, but it was a muffled mess though the ringing in his ears. Everything was a foggy gray and his lungs burned as he breathed in. There was a flash of light, and David's hearing returned. He could hear people yelling outside the shop and the store was creaking.

"Are you okay?" Father Thomas asked, shaking him to make sure he was paying attention.

"_MERLIN'S BEARD_!" Blanchly exclaimed from behind a pile of toppled shelves. David sat up and felt his mouth drop. The entire front of the shop was gone. Missing. Blown into match sticks, along with the front of the shop across the street. A breeze pushed away the dust and cooled the sweat against David's skin.


	4. Chapter 4

David tried constantly to apologize for the damages to the store, but the store keepers would not hear anything of it, and waved him off, usually accompanied by remarks of David not knowing any better. They had refused reimbursement. But now, David sat upon the stool watching Father Thomas argue with the wizard's about David's wand. Father Thomas seemed to think that such a wand should not be in the hands of what he seemed to deem a child, while the store keepers stood firm in their assessment that the wand had chosen David, as much as he had chosen the wand.

"So how much do I owe you?" David wondered as Father Thomas gripped his hair in frustration.

"10 Galleons. For that we will offer free lifetime maintenance, repair, and service, as well as a cleaning kit and the case it came in." Mr. Rowes replied in his well practiced sales pitch. David pulled the heavy pouch from his pocket and counted ten coins before replacing the bag. Mr. Rowes excepted the money with a smile and a bow. David thanked the shop keepers and left what remained of the front of their store.

He was anxious to get away and begin starting his collection of literature. Before anything else, David retraced their steps all the way back to the book store. He could hear Father Thomas talking behind him, but the fact that David was not listen and the noise on the streets, he was not stopped. As far as he was concerned, clothes and supplies could wait.

The book store was less crowded as it was before as the line was gone. At the front counter, the shop keeper asked him for his list of materials.

"Alright, Mr. Crowley. I have all the books for first-years in the back of the store. If you would wait here I will go get them for you." The man said, handing back the list.

"Actually, can you hold onto them for me while I look for more books?" David asked.

"Of course! Are you look for any book in particular?"

"No." David replied as he entered the shelves. David loved being surrounded by books. His well practiced eyes raced over the spines as he looked for anything that caught his attention. When he found one, he pulled it off the shelf and tucked it safely under his arm. When the stack got heavy, David placed them on the counter and returned to his search.

Halfway through his second pass, David found a book that caught his attention. Malory's_ Guide to Ancient Runes and Alchemical Practices. _Reaching for the book, another hand bumped into his and they both stopped. Beside him was a boy his age, who was the same height he was, with short black hair and a peculiar shade of violet gray eyes.

"Sorry about that." the boy apologized, glancing up at the book. "You can have it, I was just curious about what was inside. You a first year too?" David nodded and pulled the book from the shelf and added it to his collection.

"Wow, you really like books!" the boy remarked with a laugh. For a second, David felt like he was being made fun of, until the boy said, "I've never been able to learn from books. Not too book smart." He tapped a knuckle against his head and sighed.

"David, you ready to go?" Father Thomas called from the front of the shop impatiently.

"What a prick. He with you?" the boy asked.

"Yeah. He insists on watching my every move. Frankly, it freaking annoying." David sighed and shifted the books weight.

"Yeah, I know the feeling." he agreed, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder toward a tall man, who, as hard as it was to believe, seemed far grumpier than Father Thomas. The tall man cleared his throat and tapped his wrist. The boy rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Guess I will see you at school then." The boy said, as he walked over to the man who waited for him. David stood there for a moment, thinking about the students at his new school, but his attention quickly returned to the books. An hour later, David walked out of the store with a box filled with over 25 books. It did not seem very heavy, and he could have sworn that the box was far too small to fit them all, but he disregarded it as he slid it into a backpack the shopkeeper provided.

"You finally ready to start shopping?" Father Thomas asked, his patience obviously wearing thin. David smiled and entered the animal shop behind the Father. He was not really interested in an animal, but it felt good to spite Father Thomas, who was leaving a blemish on an otherwise joyfully experience. He looked at the owls, who hooted hopefully, and the cats, but neither really left him with the feeling that he wanted it. Slowly making his way around the store, David passed spiders, frogs, rats, and even a few fairies, who made rude gestures at him as he passed them by. David turned to leave the store but something made him glance into the back of the store, the area that was roped off from people under 18.

Keen black eyes gazed at him through metal bars, and David stared back. It was an osprey. She was larger than most birds David had seen, and the white, gray, and brown feathers made David smile.

"How much is that bird?" David asked.

"Can't you read, boy? That area is off limits to anyone younger than 18." David sighed and pulled out his pouch again. He slapped 3 Galleons on the counter and slid them toward the owner. He frowned and narrowed his eyes, but slid the coin into his hand and pocketed it, before entering the back of the store. The bird called out as its cage hit the counter, and David watched it through the bars. Carefully, David opened the cage and held his hand open. The osprey tilted its head, but eventually hoped into his hand, allowing David to pull it out safely.

"Seems she likes you. What is her name?" David set the bird on his left shoulder and she gently nipped his ear as he thought about it, as if urging him on. He looked at her feathers and the gray colors gave him a name. "Ashe." he said. David listened as the owner explained to him the many uses of a bird, such as its ability to deliver mail for him. Ashe sat patiently on his shoulder as he listened, and when it was done, David strokes a finger under Ashe's beak, who accepted it with a small noise.

Father Thomas was livid when David returned with his new companion in tow. She did not seem to mind the crowds of people that stared at her, nor did she give any indication that she was about to fly off, which made David smile. She was obviously very loyal to him as her new master. She set him apart from those walking around him, and Father Thomas grumbled and growled throughout the rest of their shopping trip.

He bought new clothes and all of his school supplies, including a few things that caught his attention, like an intricately detailed ring of two eagles fighting. In between the two birds, was a magnificently cut sapphire that caught the light from all directions. A second smaller ring, covered in Celtic knots was inside the folding of the outer ring, and it could freely spin if David flicked it with is thumb. What made the purchase, however, was the fact that this ring was enchanted to gather energy, and if David flicked the inner ring, he could release it. He had discovered this by, at the shop keepers instructions, walked around the store a few times, swinging his arms as he did, and then used it to launch a display across the shop. He lid it onto his right forefinger and watched as it shrunk to fit his finger perfectly.

The other was a pair of black leather boot that felt like they shifted their design in order to fit his perfectly. He discovered shortly after putting them on that they were bewitched to mask the wearer's foot steps. No matter how he walked, or jumped, his feet made no noise. When he bought them, the shop keeper convinced him to buy two belt bands for the boots, which fit over the boot around the ankle and under the boot, all three straps meeting in one silver buckle.

"Are you done now?" Father Thomas asked annoyingly. David glanced at his list of needed items before replying.

David's shopping trip was weeks ago now. Ever since, David found himself interested in the Wizarding World and all of its new discoveries. As soon as he got back to the Orphanage, he happily left Father Thomas,shut himself away and began devouring the books, one after another, as he had always done with library books. Every free moment he had, he poured over those books.

David had a very good memory, able to recall anything he had read into his mind, and read it almost as if he were using his eyes to read a book. That, and his imagination allowed him to visualize everything before him as if on a display. Knowledge from the pages entered David's brain as fast as he read the words, and over time, as he read all his books of instruction, he was able to piece together how everything worked. He was able to visualize every move and action that was necessary for several spells. Father Thomas had warned him not to practice magic outside of school, as it was a rule set my the Ministry of Magic. As such, David was unable to test out the magic, to see if he was correct. Two weeks after their purchase, David was able to recall all of his school books, except for A History of Magic, which was far too long and had yet to be finished.

Police sirens pulled David from his stupor and caused him to look up from his book. It was starting to get dark outside. He looked about his room and placed a bookmark in his place before closing it carefully and turning on a nearby lamp. He got down from his bunk and opened Ashe's cage so she could go hunt. She tweeted thankfully and hopped into his open hand. He looked into her big black eyes and stroked her feathers.

" Alright, Ashe, try not to stay out all night." David said. She shifted her feathers and David let her outside, leaving it open for her. Now he had to figure out what he wanted to do. He was only allowed to watch what the Sisters showed on the television once a week, which normally turned out to be a religious gospel on Sundays.

Books were always his thing, their words would sweep him away to far away realities. His favorites were fantasy novels about heroes saving their realm from a great evil. By reading them, David had gotten a basic understanding of swordplay. Whenever he was allowed out to play, he would find sword-like objects and act out the fight scenes by memory. At first he looked silly, but after a while, he was become well practiced with the moves. He liked to play video games as well, but the other children would hog them, so if he was around at all, normally he would just watch. Recently, another kid at the orphanage, Aiden, played a game with a man using 'free-running'. David watched in amazement at the main characters movements, and soon was outside, trying to replicate the results. He hurt himself a lot, but the exercise and training was working muscles he did not know he had. After a few months or so, David was able to do any of the moves he had seen, including dangling one handed from the top floor of the Orphanage, which earned him a good switching for the Sisters. His entire physic had changed, and now the girls in David's old school were giving him looks he was not so sure he liked.

It was too dark outside to do anything, and their curfew was soon, so David would be confided to his room within the hour anyway. He looked over at A History of Magic and sighed. It was easily the longest book he had ever encountered. It was only the wars that kept him interested. He could remember Grublock when he thought about the wars with the Goblins many years ago. He was glad he would not need to fight such a nasty creature.

He looked at the calendar on his wall. Several days were crossed out on the month of September. Today was the 18th. Tomorrow, he would be leaving this place for Trinity Academy. He would finally have a place he could fit in and call home. Eager to leave, David decided to spend his time packing his things. He carefully stacked all of his books into the box he had given, which fit way more than he thought possible. Underneath all the piles, David found a book he had completely forgotten about. The Boy Who Lived.

He carefully opened the book and began reading. It was a biography, David realized. Page after page he read, carefully thinking about everything that he found. Harry Potter was The Boy Who Lived, the same man on the cover. Harry Potter was a hero, what was being regarded as one of the greatest heroes in the entire history of the Wizarding World. The book has started before Harry was even born, about a prophecy, one foretelling the fall of the Dark Lord, the man Father Thomas had called Lord Voldemort. In fear, Voldemort found James and Lily Potter, Harry Potter's mother and father, and killed them when Harry was just a boy. When Voldemort tried to kill Harry, the spell had rebounded and killed the Dark Lord instead.

Afterward, while Harry became a hero before he form words in his mouth, Harry himself was placed under the care of his Muggle Aunt and Uncle, who by all eye witness accounts, treated Harry like a dirt clod for most of his life. When the time came for Harry to enter school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (the name making David laugh), Harry learned what he really was.

At Harry's first year in school, he proved to be an average student, earning a few close friends. Two of which, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, became Harry's best friends and stayed by his side always, even present day they were very close. But at the end of his first term, Harry proved he was something more, by preventing an attempt to steal the Sorcerer's Stone, which would have been used to revive the Dark Lord, who was still barely alive. Harry's heroics were not over, however, when in his second year, when the Chamber of Secrets was opened once again, Harry and Ron rediscovered the entryway, and saved Ginny Weasley from a Basilisk, Harry very nearly dying in the process. In his third year, his god father escaped Azkaban Prison and became a wanted man. There was a side note that Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, was eventually cleared of all charges after his death a few years later.

The more David read, the more he could see why everyone practically worshiped Harry Potter as their hero. The Chosen One, they called him. Everything from the return of Voldemort in this fourth year, to the death of Headmaster Dumbledore was written in exquisite detail, as if the author had been a participant in every moment. By the end, in the moment Harry bounced the Avada Kadavra Spell back at Voldemort, killing him for good, David found that he also respected Harry Potter. He closed the book and looked at the cover. Instead of the shy young man that stood there before, there was a picture of Harry, confident and charismatic, staring straight at David.

Ashe returned and swooped quietly into her cage, pulling David's attention away from the book. It was not night outside, and somehow, it had grown well past one in the morning. David sighed and quickly finished packing all of his belongings. Soon, he would be out of this place, and into a world that interested him, and in which he was not an unfortunate orphan boy, but another blank slate that was full of potential. His sleep was undisturbed, but his dreams were a replay of the life of Harry Potter and the similarities in their beginnings.

David awoke before his alarm the next morning in what felt like moments later. The sky outside his window was pink in the early morning sun. Ashe awoke as he crawled out of bed and called a good morning. David had forgot to close his window the night before, and now his room was ice cold. Shivering, David gather the last of his things and got ready for his trip. The warmth of the shower reached down into his bones, relaxing the tension and clearing his anxiety. He took much longer than normal. He was awake much earlier than any of the other children, and did not have to combat to time with all the others, who had to be at school at eight.

David laughed aloud when he remembered how livid the other children were at him every morning, when he crawled out of bed just as they were leaving. They did not understand why he got to sleep in while they went to school, and viewed it as unfair, no matter how many times the Sisters tried to explain that David was leaving for a different school. Some even tried to pay him back, with bullying or threats, both of which David ignored, which made them bolder each time. One boy, who had been particularly upset that David was aloud a bird (something they had never been allowed before), tried to pull Ashe from her cage, and received a rather nasty cut from her sharp beak. The boy ran of to the Sister, crying that the bird attacked him. They knew better by now, and switched the child for trying to steal, David silently chuckling the entire time.

A sound of anger outside the door pulled him from his thoughts. The other children were beginning to wake up, and a line was most likely forming outside the door. David shut off the water and got dressed in his favorite clothes, a thick long sleeved shirt, a pair of tan cargo pants, and his dingy shoes. As he left, David noticed that he was correct, as three pairs of eyes glared at him as he walked past.

"You better have left us some hot water, David." A girl called down the hall.

"Can't say." David replied sarcastically. "There might be enough left for one more shower, if that. It was getting pretty cool when I got out." He chuckled when he heard a commotion behind him as they fought for the remaining hot water. David got to his door and realized it was not empty. He always closed his door behind him, often times placing a tiny chess piece outside the ledge, so that if it was opened, it would be on the floor, much like it was now. David pocketed his figurine and entered his room to find Father Thomas rummaging through David's bags.

"What the hell are you doing?" David demanded, slamming the door behind him.

"Making sure you are not taking anything to school that you do not need." Father Thomas replied. David noticed a small pile of his belongings next to the Father as he continued to riffle through the bags.

"No!" David yelled, pulling the Father away from his bags. "These are my belongings! Not YOURS! So stay the FUCK OUT!"

"Language, David." Father Thomas warned. "You will obey me. I know what is best, after all." As he finished the last statement, he once again went to search through David's things. David glanced at the pile. It was all stuff he did not really need, but it was the principal of the matter. They were David's belongings, and as far as he was concerned, no one had the right to go through it without his permission. David took a step and found a wand pointed at his chest.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" David's entire body stiffened instantly mid-step. Unable to move a single inch, David was teetering precariously on his one foot. Father Thomas replaced his wand and resumed his search through the bag. Father Thomas seemed frantic as he tore through David's clothes. David tried to yell at him, but not even a moan would escape his lips. Ashe fluttered against the cage, somehow understanding that David was in trouble, but the door had been locked, so she could not escape. A ball of light soared in from the window and landed quietly on the floor between the Father and David. It seemed important as the Father immediately stopped searching and bowed the the orb.

The orb was a bright milky white, and seemed to be made of nothing but light and vapor, but David got a unusual sensation from it.

"My Lord. There was no need for you to send a Patronus." the Father muttered. The orb did not respond, but instead glowed a bright blue as it spoke in a garbled voice, as if run through many filters to change the way it sounded. "Three minutes." it said, before puffing into vapor and disappearing. The Father's eyes turned up toward David, who was still frozen in place. The hate was clearly visible in his eyes, and David could not do anything to get away from that gaze.

"You have it, don't you, boy?" he said, ripe with malice. David quickly thought about what he had in his pockets. His leather wallet, his wand, a few coins in Muggle money, and a Swiss Army Knife was tucked into his sock. Father Thomas must have wanted his wand, David realized. It would explain why the Father had not wanted him to have it, and the sudden change in personality after he had bought it. But why? Did he want it for its power? Or the rarity?

Father Thomas reached into David's pockets and pulled it all out in law enforcement style of search, even finding his knife hidden away. All of this he dropped onto the floor, including the wand.

"Where is it?" Father Thomas growled, grasping David's face and squeezing. David, still frozen by the spell, was unable to speak, and wondered if the Father even remembered that he had place it on him. Growling in frustration, Father Thomas leaned over and picked up David's knife and opened the five-inch blade, which was attached to a spring, so it snapped open with a flick.

"This is practically a dagger." Father Thomas smiled, eyeballing the blade in his hand before looking back at David. "You will tell me where you have hidden it." Still squeezing David's frozen face, the Father brought the knife up to David's face and pressed the point into David's forehead, just above his left eyebrow. It was insane. The Father was not asking him any questions, and did not seem to notice that David was unable reply due. Pain lanced through his spine as Father Thomas pressed harder and pierced the skin. Unable to blink, a thin line of blood dripped into his left eye, turning his vision red. David's mind raced over the list of things that Father Thomas could want. Books, wand, clothes, Ashe.

His thoughts were interrupted as he blade began to move. Not straight down, but to the left at a downward angle. It slowly sliced through David's eyebrow and stabbed deeper into David's eyelid. David tried to scream as the blade cut into the corner of his eye. He could see the blood on the metal as it slowly glided past his vision and knifed into his cheek. Blood covered his gray shit. Warm and sticky, it had pooled on his chest, but was now slowly moving down his side. As the blade stopped just below the earlobe, Father Thomas twisted it around to that the blade rested underneath David's throat. Fear gripped David's thoughts and images of his belongings coursed through his mind. Faintly, David realized that this was not his own doing, but it was Father Thomas scrying his mind for what he sought. They were all images out of focus, none clear enough for David to identify them.

Time stretched into an unending tunnel that he was no longer aware of, as millions of memories raced through his thoughts. Toys, people, days at school. As far as David could tell, the Father was searching through David's entire life, in order to get to one thing. Finally, it all stopped. One image, bright and clear in his mind floated in his thoughts. His coin pouch, which lay underneath Ashe's cage for safety. David relived his entire trip down into the vaults, the pain and the awe all coursed through him. Everything that magic had made him forget was crystal clear.

"_Stupefy_!" The entire room flashed red as David's door was blasted off it hinges and a jet of red light lanced straight into Father Thomas's chest. A tall back man with long dreadlocks stepped through the entrance and kept his wand at Father Thomas. Another man enter behind the black man, this one was an Asian man with green eyes.

"Good job, Dean. Now please be sure to give him some Verituserum before he regains consciousness." the Asian man said calmly. Dean, the man with dreadlocks, nodded and pulled out a small vial of a clear vial and poured some of its contents in Father Thomas's mouth. The Asian man turned to David and silently waved his wand, then David was able to move. Instantly, David was on the floor, with a hand clasped over his face where he had been cut.

"Calm down and let me have a look at it." David obeyed as a forceful grip pulled his hand away.

"No need to be afraid, young David. My name is Tsingtao Nguyen, and I am a guide under the employment of Trinity Academy. My friend Dean here, was assigned to take you to Oasis, but when you were not here upon his arrival, he notified me immediately. Dear dear this is a rather nasty." He used a wet cloth to wipe David's face and get a better look at the injury. "Dean, has our friend woken up yet?"

"No sir." Dean replied, his accent pleasing.

"Then I think it is about time we woke him, don't you?" Tsingtao suggested. Dean nodded and turned to Father Thomas and said "_Incarcerous_" Ropes sprung from Dean's wand and tied themselves around Father Thomas's body.

"Alright, David. Lucky for you I am fairly talented at healing. It won't leave much of a scar for you to show off to the girls. _Episky._" David felt his body grow very hot then very cold as his skin stitched itself together. Following this, with a rapid swish, Tsingtao's wand siphoned away all of the blood, making it look like it never happened.

"Alright, Dean. Your job to guide this young man still remains. I will see to our friend." Tsingtao sighed, as he helped David to his feet. Dean got up and looked about David's room.

"Seems he made quite a mess." Dean sighed. With a carefree flick, everything that Father Thomas removed was lifted into the air, folded, and packed neatly. Lifting Ashe's cage, David retrieved his coin pouch and placed it deep in his pocket. Dean handed David his wand and looked about the room.

"Is that everything?" Dean asked, scanning the room a final time, shifting the weight of Ashe's cage as he waited. David glanced about the room and picked up the last remaining item. His knife, which he wiped clean on his pants, folded, and returned to his sock.

"Yeah. That is the last of it." David agreed.

"Ready to say your good-byes?" Dean asked brightly.

"There is no one to say good by to." David replied, sliding on his backpack and hefted his sack. Dean grabbed the box of books and gave him an odd look. They quietly walked away from the orphanage until they reached the front gate, where David set everything on the ground.

"Alright, I think it is safe now." said Dean, looking about to be sure, before drawing his wand. "Set it down all down together." David slid his bags on the ground next his belongings. With a snap of his fingers, somehow, Dean banished away his bags. Before he could ask where they went, Dean held out his hand.

"Take my hand and hold your breath." Dean replied. "I think it helps a little." David looked at the hand hesitantly before grabbing it firmly. Dean turned, pulling David along with him. Pressure threatened to crush him from all sides. It was like being pulled through a garden hose. Just as panic began to appear, the pressure was gone and they were standing somewhere else, and the sky had darkened with clouds. It seemed to be a bit later in the day.

"What the hell just happened?" David gasped.

"Apparated." Dean said, as if it was obvious. David turned around and saw that they were now standing atop an immense skyscraper, while more stretched out in all directions. David felt a huge cramp clutch his stomach and vertigo kicked in. What was with wizards and heights? He was having trouble breathing through the panic, and was more than thankful when he saw Dean headed for the stairs.

"Where are we?" David wheezed, cringing as he looked over the guardrail to the vast city below.

"New York City." Dean called back as he double timed it down the stairs, his feet a blur over the stairs. "Try to keep up, we are running behind schedule."

"So the train station is in New York?" David wondered, taking stairs two at a time to catch up.

"Not quite, David." Dean replied. "The entrance into the station is here, but the train and the platform are not. Trinity Academy of Sorcery and Enchantments is constantly moving, stopping only long enough to pick up and drop off its students. The location of this drop-off is far away from any Muggle cities in order to reduce any incidents that may happen. The train takes you to that location, and will eventually bring you back." They finally reached the first floor and stepped out into a busy lobby of an office building. Following Dean, David followed him outside and into the busy streets of New York, crowded beyond imagination with people. There were people of every race, color, and religion, all walking through these packed streets minding their business. David was struck dumb with the sheer volume and variety of people walking all around him. His legs moved as if on autopilot after Dean as David craned his neck in all directions taking in everything.

David followed his chaperone down long stretches of road, rimmed with tall skyscrapers in all directions. The buildings reflected each other and the sky, and each were varying shades of the same grays. Yellow taxis on street were bumper to bumper in traffic, causing David to be thankful for the walk, as the passengers looked to be in foul moods. After several intersections, David saw their destination. It stood out. Grand Central Station.


	5. Chapter 5

David waited patiently while Dean patted the wall. It was bizarre, even with all of the events of today, that Dean was patting a wall between vending machines in the middle of the biggest crowd of people David was ever seen. Meanwhile, Dean was muttering to himself, trying all sorts of techniques and rhythms, which simply looked like he was a crazy man knocking on a wall. David was about to say something when David straightened up and sighed.

"They must have moved it." Dean stated. "No worries thought. I thought ahead." Dean smiled and pulled a Galleon from his pocket.

"Are you mad?" David asked uncertainly. Dean's forehead creased with confusion before looking down at the coin as if he had never seen it in his life.

"It's a magical coin." Dean said as if it was obvious. David continued to stare, but groaned when he saw that Dean could not think of the correct definition. "Now I know how Neville felt." Dean groaned. "Granger was always better at explaining this kind of stuff." Before David could ask any questions, Dean held out the gold Galleon for inspection. David noticed almost immediately that the coin was simply made to look like a Galleon to be inconspicuous. On the coin it simply said: Dumbledore's Army.

"'Course its just an updated version of the old ones used to use back when I was your age. Its called a DA coin. Very few people know about these. The Assistant Headmaster learned the trick from Hermione Granger and perfected it for the staff of Trinity Academy." Dean looked at the coin after his explanation and his face broke into a smile. "See? I told you, they simply moved it. Follow me." David kept up as best as he could as Dean weaved through the crowd with ease. They continued until they were near the ticket booths, where lines upon lines of people were waiting to approach the boxes with glass to protect the employees. Dean stopped as he watched a small group of people approaching. Many were close to his age, their parents discussing what was packed with their children as they passed by. David watched intently as they walked toward a wall without concern, and one by one, they disappeared into the wall as if it was simply made of liquid.

Dean patted David's back, then led the way towards the wall, while David's insides knotted up. What happened if the wall did not allow him to pass? He would collide with the wall in front of hundreds of people. Not only that, but he did not have a ticket or a chaperone to excuse him if security arrived. How would he be able to explain to them how he had traveled here from Oregon?

Steps away from the wall, it shimmered and slowly opened up, as if someone was pulling back the curtains into a whole new realm. Dozens of people milled about wearing brightly colored cloaks, their children wishing their parents good-bye as they ascended the steps into the large silver train that was longer than the entire station they had just left.

"Well, Mr. Crowley, this is good-bye. Your baggage will meet you at the castle." Dean smiled, shaking David's hand.

"Thanks for everything, I guess." David agreed.

"I look forward to what you will become Mr. Crowley. There is literally an entire world of opportunity out there for you, and it is up to you what role you play. Not only will Trinity Academy train in the basics, but they will discover what kind of wizard you are and what role you play in a group, and train you accordingly." Dean explained, and with a final pat on David's shoulder he added, "Good Luck." Before David could reply, Dean turned on the spot and disappeared, leaving David all alone on the train station. Taking a deep breath, David set off into the unknown. He walked slowly through the crowd, taking in his surroundings. Many students were worried about the entrance exams, which made the hairs on David's neck stand on end. His mind reeled as he took the steps up into the train. He was certain that what ever they asked him to do, he would be able to preform it after memorizing the entire years curriculum. As he took a big step up, he self consciously checked his knife and wand, reassuring himself.

It was a tall and sleek train, a double deck train by the looks of it. Signs indicted that only the higher grades were allowed on the second floor, while the 1st through 3rd years were confined to the lower deck. David left the staircase at the first level and traveled down the length of the train towards the back. Ever since he was a kid, David liked sitting towards the back of vehicles. It did not matter if it was a bus or a plane, David would he as far back as he could, and he did not see any reason why it should be any different. He passed several dozen empty cars, and kept going until he came to the very last few cars of the train, which were all private rooms for four people, complete with a bathroom and beds for everyone. He sighed and sat down facing forward, so he would be able to watch things as they came and also look out over the station to watch his fellow students arrive and bid their good-byes. He sat and watched them for nearly an hour, his mind completely blank as they boarded the train. He saw friends happy reunions and tearful farewells as people parted. He smiled when he realized that he would not be leaving the school until his graduation, and would never return to the Orphanage. Finally, he heard someone call the warning and the platform began to clear as all of the students finally came.

A knock came to his door and David was about to answer when it opened. A pretty girl with sleek shiny black hair and brilliant hazel eyes enter the compartment and regarded him for a few moments. Her bangs were pulled back into a ponytail, which was in four small braids. The rest of her hair was straight and shiny, and clung to her shoulders, which made her white skin seem extremely pale. Her eyelashes were long but overshadowed by the brightness of her eyes. David doubted she ever used a single drop of make up in the morning. In each ear, she had silver X's, which matched the white symbol on her blue shirt, a slanted cross that went from the left shoulder to the right hip. It separated the shirt into four different hues of blue. Her black pants seemed a bit snug, but were covered in big cargo pockets and patches from random patterned fabrics, dulling the effect of the white and black flannel shoes.

"Can I sit here? I really like to sit in the back and all the other compartments are empty." she asked, her voice was soft, but clear. David tried to replied and simply stuttered, finally mumbled something that sounded like "please." She giggled and sat in the seat across before him, and began rummaging through her bag, which was black and had several patches from Hot Topic attached on with bobby pins. She looked up suddenly at him and caught him watching, but simply giggled and replied, "My name is Evangeline. Evangeline Waters. What is yours?"

"David. David Crowley." David replied, his face growing hot. He never was good with dealing with girls.

"You mind if I take your picture?" She asked, holding up a camera. She jumped into the seat next to him and hugged close to his arm. "Say cheese!" David obeyed diligently and the camera clicked.

"Thank you. I like to take pictures. Especially if I like them." She replied as she plugged the memory card into her laptop and began working.

"Umm... Like them?" David wondered, his ears were possibly on fire.

"Yeah. I think you have very pretty eyes. Plus you are kinda cute." She confirmed with a wink.

"Oh. Thank you." He said stupidly, not knowing what to say.

"Oh, you're the shy type, aren't you." Evangeline smiled. "Don't worry. I'll be your friend."

"Erm...okay. Thanks." David smiled weakly.

"No problem!" She replied happily. "So what are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm from California. I'm half-blood, my daddy is a wizard. My mom left us when she found out and left my poor daddy alone to take care of me. All I have left of her are pictures, which is why I like taking them, so I never forget." David was surprised and impressed at her cheerfulness and honesty as she explained all of it to him.

"Well, I am from Oregon. It rains a lot in my town, but its okay because I like the rain. I am Muggle-born. My parents left me as soon as they found out about what I am, and have been alone ever since. I have a hard time making friends since I enjoy my seclusion, which caused my classmates to tease me and call me names." David confided. She set her computer down and walked over to him.

"Well, it is nice to meet you, David." Evangeline chimed, kissing his cheek and plopping down into the chair beside him, and began to take pictures of things as they began to pull out from the station. Some of those pictures possibly included David, but he simply accepted the unusual trait of his new friend. For several minutes, David watched the scenery with Evangeline until another knock drew his attention. This time it was a boy, the same boy he had met at the shop, whose face brightened when he saw David. He wore a white turtleneck with the collar completely stretched out, regular blue jeans, and white tennis shoes. The only things that seemed abnormal was the gray woolen scarf loosely draped about his neck and a solid gray bandana on his head to keep the hair out of his eyes.

"There you are. I was looking all over the train for you. Never figured you were the type to ride in the very back." He laughed. He noticed Evangeline and pointed at her with a smile. "She's your girlfriend, eh?" As David opened his mouth to deny the misunderstanding, Evangeline hugged his arm to her breast and replied, "To early to tell." David's mouth stayed hung open as he looked at her.

"That's cool." He laughed and offered his hand to David. "Didn't get the chance to introduce myself before. My name is Vladimir Alexander Gabranth the 3rd." Evangeline shook his hand happily before David could take it.

"Evangeline Waters. He is David Crowley. Hey, can I take your picture?" she asked happily. Vladimir's response was similar to how David had reacted, and had his picture taken, and she left to add it to her collection. He tossed a bag onto one of the top bunks and set next to David and propped his feet up with the recliner.

"Can you believe its going to take two whole days to reach the Academy?" Vlad asked, looking over at David, whose throat instantly went dry.

"What, you didn't know?" he asked when he saw David's face, who was only able to slowly shake his head.

"Okay, I'll try and explain it as best as I can." Vladimir sighed. "The Academy travels in an elliptical circle all year, every year. The path is always the same. The train is timed to arrived at a location to be picked up once a year. The Academy is at this location for only a hour, so the train has to arrive, unload, load, and depart within that time limit every year."

"The Academy is a large castle on a free floating island, but the school itself can be a bit interesting at times. Students take regular classes three days a week with the rest of their year: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. But upon arriving, the entrance exam pinpoints trademark characteristics and divide you into class, role and specialization. First two years of school, you take lessons based on your class, with everyone of the same type, regardless of which year you are, which is one of the three founding types. First is the Red class, mocking called the Red Mages by several students. They specialize in spell casting and complex magic that they will need to acquire."

"The second is Blue class, which specialized in technical courses, such as medicine and learning from scrolls and texts, reading, memorizing, chanting, and casting long ritual spells and incantations. They are the highly intelligent class who spend most of their free time engulfed in their studies. The third and final class is the Emerald Class, known as the Knights. They specialize in combative magic and scrolls, enchantments that with help protect them, and also training in melee combat, just in case. I like to view it as a giant gym class will fireballs attached." Vladimir said the last part with a laugh. "These classes take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They all have proper names, but I can never remember them. That's about all I know. My father wouldn't tell me any more than that." David sat back and thought about what Vlad had told him. All of the classes appealed to him, and could not find one that he was interested in more than the others. While he sat there, Vlad and Evangeline struck up a conversation about a recent game of "Quidditch", and an odd realization came over him. Everything he had memorized had only been for the regular classes, and he had no preparation for the special classes that he would be assigned.

At some point, David had fallen asleep, the hours wore on and when he awoke, it was nightfall of the first day. Something warm on his chest made him realize that Evangeline was snuggled up to him, her head laying on her chest. Somehow, she had really taken a liking to David, and he was at a lost for words. Never before had he met someone so honest and kind, yet they had only known each other for a few hours, and he could not understand how she could be so carefree about snuggling up to him in his sleep and using him as a pillow.

"You awake?" Vlad asked, rolling over and looking down from his top bunk on the other side of the cabin.

"Yeah. You? Can't sleep?" Vlad regarded this last comment with a shrug and a mock frown. "I can never sleep more than a few hours a night." Vlad replied. "I sleep for a handful of hours, and spend the rest of the night prowling the countryside."

"I don't get the feeling that Trinity Academy is the type of place that will take nighttime strolls very kindly." David smirked, as he looked out into the night that covered his window. The moon was full, and now they were far enough from major cities for the sky to be immense and bright, lighting the entire mountain in the far distance.

"That's why you don't get caught." Vlad simply said, and rolled back over. Carefully, Vlad slipped out from Evangeline's hug, laid her head down softly, and exited the cabin. He clearly remembered passing a food trolley somewhere in the middle of the train, and he could only hope that it was still open, as he had an empty stomach. He passed several people sleeping in their chairs, some cuddled up. From the floor above, David heard noises that sounded like someone having sex, but hurried along quickly before anyone else noticed. The closer he got to the trolley, he noticed more and more people were awake. Many were on electronic devices, or playing games that David had never seen before (like a chess set where the pieces killed each other).Most simply ignored him, but a few gave him nods as he passed. I was oddly refreshing. He was on a fresh start to a new life. He could be anyone, do anything. It was a freedom David hardly recognized. It was not until he sat down at the bar that he realized he was smiling. The waiter gave him an odd look before setting a glass of water before him and waited patiently to take his order. David asked for a sandwich of any kind, and the waiter nodded before setting to work. Knifes and utensils sprang into action. On a counter, a knife was thinly slicing a big ham that had floated out from the fridge. A potato was chopped into thin strips, then they floated over and dropped into a basket of hot oil, which seemed to materialize mid-air. The waiter placed a tall soda in a glass cup before him, turned and began assembling the sandwich from the condiments that hovered towards him. Before long, a ham and cheese sandwiches was before him, and the fries, fresh from the fryer and lightly salted, were steaming next to his cool sandwich.

"Thank you very much." David said honestly, popping a fry into his mouth.

"It's no problem really." The waiter replied, and with a wave of his wand, everything was completely clean and began putting themselves away. "First year, are ya? Name's Mickael." David mentally noted the slight Russian accent that stressed the consonants, but quietly finished chewing before responding kindly.

"Nice to meet you, Mickael. My name is David." Mickael nodded before turning to wash some dishes, meanwhile maintaining the conversation.

"So David. You nervous?"

"That obvious, huh?" David sighed before biting into his sandwich. It was quite possibly the best sandwich David ever had. Mickael, who was eying him over his shoulder, laughed and said, "No no, young David. I just assumed that you, a first year student being up this late while headed to an unknown place, would naturally be nervous. Logic."

"Did you go to Trinity Academy?" David wondered, hoping to fish for information.

"No. I graduated from a school in Russia. You would not recognize the name, I assure you. I immigrated here nine years ago and fell in love." Mickael laughed heartily at his personal memories. David sat and listened to Mickael reminisce of the "o' days" during his meal. David was sorry to admit that he was not really listening to Mickael talk, as his mind wandered off to the three different classes, and most of all, which one he would end in. Before he knew it, Mickael excused himself David was left alone in the trolley, listening to the glasses clink as the train rolled along. He piled up all of his dished (which vanished before his eyes), and began making the trip back to his compartment. More people were asleep by now, as it was close to midnight, so David passed unnoticed and managed to find his cabin easily.

Everything inside was exactly the same as when he left. Nothing had changed one bit, as if time had frozen when he left. Evangeline was fast asleep on the entire length of the couch, so David drew his wand and mimicked the motions of several spells, some of which he feared would be on the entrance exam. The wand felt like an extension of his arm, it seemed to hum through the air, and David felt that pressure return deep in his chest. This time it was different, like a constant purring vibration that was a metal of sensations. It was deep, dark, rough with a consistent tempo that harmonized with his heartbeat, pulsing in between its beats. Almost like a second heart. It was like music.

David noticed an Ipod on the floor below Vladimir. Hoping for something to distract himself from the pressure, David borrowed it, under the assumption that Vlad wouldn't mind it to much, and slid the headphones over his ears. He pressed start and immediately regretted it. The music pulsing through the wires matches the sensation in his chest. It was a band he had never heard before, and recognized it as Heavy Metal or Rock. Slowly, somehow, the music seemed to bleed away the pressure, leaving David alone to listen to music. It did not take long for his eyes to slide shut and sleep to wash over his thoughts.

The next day had passed quickly, with Vladimir and Evangeline explaining Quidditch and Wizard's Chess to him. David even managed to beat Vlad after their fourth game of Wizard's Chess, when the initial shock of his pieces exploding had worn off.

Vlad turned out to be an exception in the Wizarding community. Vlad understood Muggles and their society. He understood how cars worked, and how planes stayed in the air without the aid of magic. Vlad was a man of science and knowledge. Most wizards were not the same in their own respects, they did not understand how people could possibly function without magic. The same way a Muggle would look at a watch that screamed the time every hour, was the same way a wizard looked at a telephone. Vlad called himself a child of both worlds. In the New World, parents were responsible for the general education of their children, but Vladimir had elected to go to a Muggle school until he was able to enroll in Trinity Academy. This all made it incredibly easy for David to talk with Vlad, and ask him questions that he did not quite understand. Best thing was, Vlad was able to explain it in a fashion that made perfect sense to David.

Evangeline was interesting in her own right. She would ask David questions, and could listen without interrupting, as if every word held their own purpose. For two hours, they sat excitedly exchanging stories and telling jokes. It was one of the best times David could ever remember. Never before had he had so much fun, let alone enjoy the company for others for such and extended time.

Evangeline and Vlad exchanged the stories about their trips to Oasis. Apparently, Vladimir's father bought him a large tawny owl during their trip, and pulled out his wand and showed it to them both.

"Rosewood, 11". It has no flexibility at all, but the craftsmen said it was a good wand for transfiguration." Vlad explained. "Check this out. I have been practicing." He reached into his bag and pulled out a box of matches.

"I learned this little trick in _Transfiguration Complexities _by Minerva McGonagall." Vlad smiled. He placed a single match on the coffee table and flicked his wand, turning it silver. David looked closer and saw that it in fact had turned into a tiny needle.

"That's awesome!" David exclaimed. Vlad somehow, seemed more than disappointed.

"Not really." he sighed. "It was supposed to turn into a pin. Guess I don't quite have the hang of it."

"It was a really nice try though." Evangeline said happily, then drew her wand. "Let me try. This is my wand. All I really remember is that its made of oak." She flicked her wand at another match Vlad placed on the coffee table. Blinding light and heat cause David to look away as the entire table exploded and instantly turned to ash. Vlad cursed from the far side of the room, where he had been thrown.

"Oh, why does that always happen?" Evangeline pouted as he looked at her wand. David noticed there was a large scorch mark where the table once stood, and with a sigh, drew his wand. He did not feel like telling them about his wand, that was a secret he was not yet ready to part with, but he did not feel comfortable leaving the room in such a state. Plus, it was an opportunity for him to try his hand at magic for the first time.

David stood up and held the wand in his hand, staring at the pile of ash. As before, it felt like an orb of pulsating power built up in his chest and he willed it down into the wand.

"_Reparo!_" He said as he flicked his wand as he had practiced so many times. The pressure burst from the wand and he felt a definite thump in the air as it cast. The ashes glowed for a second before swirling upwards and reassembling the carpet thread by thread, as well as the table, complete with its previous shiny finish. It looked like nothing had ever happened. Vlad, mouth hanging open, walked over and something up. To David's surprise, in between Vlad's fingertips was a match.


	6. Chapter 6

The following day was filled with awkward silence. David felt as if he had done something wrong, and now, Evangeline and Vlad were not talking to him. David sighed as he gazed lazily at the changing countryside, which was raising into higher terrain with sparce population. David vaguely heard the announcement that they would reach Trinity Academy station within an hour. He sat and watched Vlad and Evangeline silently gather their things from around the room and put them in their packs. They avoided making eye contact. He did not understand. Why would they stay in this compartment if they suddenly did not like him? It greatly annoyed him.

David remembered the look on Vlad's face when he picked up the reassembled match, and the feeling that something wrong had happened returned. He helped them whenever something that belonged to them was within his reach, and they simply muttered a 'thank you' and continued packing. As he watched them, an anger grew within him. David was mad at them for the way they were acting, for ignoring him, everything that had happened, even the things that were not thier fault. As the anger grew, so did his courage to speak to them. He was going to say something to them. He knew it. He was going to demand to know what their problem was, scream at them for acting the way they were. He was going to yell that these two people that he barely knew. He opened his mouth and began to say, "You know-"

"Welcome students, to Trinity Academy Express Railways." A voice above them interrupted. "This is a new year for many of you. We are minutes away from Trinity Station, where many of you will disembark. If you look out the right side of the train, you should be able to catch a glimpse of Trinity Academy." David's attention instantly slid out the window, as well Evangeline and Vlad, who pressed into the glass next to him. The train was on a cliff high over a ravine which melted into a valley below, and in the distance before them, the valley rose into a mountain range once again.

Far in the distance, so far in fact that is was shrouded behind a thin veil of blue sky, was a island floating in the air. It's size was immense, able to fit some of the largest cities imaginable with room to spare. Atop its surface, David could see miles of dense green forest, and several spouts of water spilled from its edges, which transformed into rainclouds below them. Several rock islands floated around the main island, seeming held in place by purple lightning.

In the very center of the island, as tall as the island itself, was a white and gray castle. Thousands of tall spires rose to pierce the thin clouds above them. Some of which were not even connected to the main structure, but seemed to orbit slowly around a thick main spire, in the very middle, that seemed to be a giant white crystal which glowed like moonlight. Millions of windows and hundreds of balconies and walkways decorated and connected the entire castle. Long veils of ivy adorned many walls in thin reaching strips, some of which hung loosely from the bottom of towers like thin strands of hair. Hanging gardens were everywhere among the castle, filling David's mind with thoughts of many hours of exploration. Even from a distance, the twinkle of hundreds of fountains could be seen on all the levels. Built into the castle, many would flow from a higher level like a waterfall and refill the fountains below, shrouding the castle in a thin mist that caught the sun to make thin rainbows.

As the train moved closer, David noticed that the island was an extension of the castle. Many spiraling staircases were carved into the rocky walls, weaving in and out of the ancient stone. Dozens more balconies were almost invisible against the rock face, if not for the torches that lit them. In fact, many structures that protruded from the bottom of the island looked like upside town towers. David turned his head so he could see what it looked like upside down, and sure enough, the entire bottom of the island looked like a huge city full of tall spire, towers, and skyscrapers, but made entirely of stone. The entire island seemed to scream magical to David, who found unable to look away. David looked down towards the ground, and saw that the very bottom tip of the island was almost in contact with a large mountain that they seemed to be arching towards.

"That must be how we are getting on." David said aloud to himself, which made Vlad and Evangeline jerk in surprise. It seemed that they had forgotten he was there, which made his irritation flare up momentarily.

"Trinity Academy of Sorcery and Enchantments will be your home. For some of you, it will be your home for the next six years of your education." The voice said again. "When we dock, please disembark in a orderly fashion and meet with the representative of your year. That representative will escort you to the Grand Hall via the Entry Hall, for dinner. After dinner, the Headmistress will make announcements and speak to the entire school. We thank you for riding Trinity Academy Express Railways and we look forward to seeing you again."

"They say it like we had a choice." Vlad groaned. They all laughed as they settled back into their seats before stopping abruptly as if they remembered they were not talking to each other. David and Vlad made eye contact for the first time since the incident, and they held it for a long time. Evangeline glanced at both of them repeatedly while she pretended to look for something she was forgetting. Suddenly, she turned and hug tackled David and nearly squeezed him to death, yelling things into his chest that he could not make out. He had to admit. She smelled really good, a sweet orchid sent that set David's skin into fits of tingling. Her hair was extremely soft against his neck, he noticed, but did nothing even when it tickled him.

"We're almost there." Vlad stated, looking out of the window. Evangeline broke away and they both ran to see for themselves. Sure enough, the large island was looming over them. It now was completely in line with the tracks. They all sat down as the train began ascending the side of the mountain at speeds David had not expected. From his seat, he could see that they were headed towards a large opening in the cliff face before them. The island overshadowed them, and was replaced by a wet mist of the waterfalls of Trinity Academy. After a few moments, the mist ceased as the train inclined further, tilting David into the back of the couch.

Darkness swept over the train as they entered the cave. They were inside of a tunnel, lit by bright blue torches every few dozen feet. The train decelerated and straightened out slowly, until they were nearly at a stop and allowed to move about the cabin freely once again. The entire train lurched to a stop and David's legs quivered. He had become accustomed to the movements of the train, so that now solid ground was temporarily foreign to his senses. Evangeline was obviously excited, and even Vlad seemed to be having trouble masking his joy at reaching their destination. David, however, was having trouble getting the thought about high they were out of his mind and refused to smile in fear of the opening of his mouth telling his stomach it was time to throw up.

Smiles on their faces (mostly), they exited the cabin and entered the steady stream of their fellow students in the hallway. Shuffling steps led them to the nearest exit and out into the chill of the station. It smelled of the mist of the waterfalls and fresh nature as David breathed in deeply against his will. They were higher and in a less populated area than David had grown up in, so the quality of the air was unnerving. He never knew of how little air he breathed before now. Evangeline at his side was having similar reactions, but having grown up in the city, was having a far less enjoyable time than David. The air was just so clean here. Almost too clean for them to adjust properly.

"First Years! First Years over here please!" David craned his neck and saw a man with a large sign that read 'First Year Students' in his hand. He was a middle-aged man, the age beginning to show in his face. His blue eyes seemed to suggest he was exhausted, but his movements and speech said that he was still full of life. The hair atop his head was thinning and was an unusual mix of blonde and white, making it hard to decide which color it once had been. Despite his look, his demeanor automatically demanded respect and obedience as David and his fellow first years gather around him.

"Welcome to Trinity Academy of Sorcery and Enchantments!" The man said, his voice booming over the sound of the waterfalls, trains, and the surrounding students. "I am Professor Clemens, and I will be your representative this year." He looked around at all the students so that he could see that they all understood him. David noticed he stood completely straight and still, nearly military in fashion. His clothes were all gray and perfectly ironed. David had the impression that Professor Clemens was a man who required perfection in everything he did, and expected it from others.

"There are rules here at Trinity Academy, and you will be expected to obey them at all times. Anyone who breaks these rules, then it is I who will decide your punishment, and I am not your friend. You may not like me, but you will do as I say while under my watch." He watched as the other groups began to move away and a crease formed at his jaw when he narrowed his eyes.

"You are here to learn, ladies and gentlemen. This is not a daycare. Everyday, your feeble minds will be subject to magics that, if mishandled, can kill you or others. If you are here to have fun, then there is the train. Take it. I will gladly take your wand and break it in your ass before placing dangerous spells in the hands of you children. The mind is a weapon. If used correctly, the mind can overcome many obstacles that children such as yourselves would prefer to 'magic away'. When sharp, the mind can kill and harm, forge and destroy things, create at will. Your minds are dull. Lifeless. Merely scraps of useless metal that have absolutely no fucking purpose. But they are also soft and malleable. Here, at Trinity Academy, we will pound your mind and body, giving you shape. Strength. Form. Structure. This is how monuments are made. You begin with a strong foundation and build up from there."

"The challenges will not be easy. Some of you will hate it. Then, we teach find out if you are of any use. You will discover what you are good at here. And what you are not. By teaching you what you need to learn, you will no longer be misshapen scraps, but you will be crafted into fine instruments. Finely tuned instuments with a good chance to blow a big fucking hole in anything, or anyone, who stands in your way. Do you have any smart questions?" David's hand automatically in the still crowd. Professor Clemens eyed him agitatedly before replying, "What is your name?"

"David Crowley, Professor." David replied.

"Crowley..." Professor Clemens said in a growl, as if tasting the words. "What is your question, Mr. Crowley?"

"I was just wondering, sir. What do you teach?" David asked. All of the students head snapped to Professor Clemens, who stood there staring at David before breaking out into a low cackle.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts." Professor Clemens said. "And you are going to need it. Follow along! Any of you fall behind, I will leave you to wander the catacombs! The acromantulas should be getting pretty hungry about now, I suppose." The group of first years silently followed their unusual mentor, while David waited silently for them to lead the way, once again preferring to linger towards the back of the pack. Vlad and Evangeline stayed with him, and waited until the Professor was well out of earshot, before quietly talking.

"That was odd." Evangeline said with a sigh. "He makes it sound all doom and gloom. What's an acromantula?"

"Giant Spiders." David and Vlad replied offhandedly. Evangeline's steps faultered for a second as a small squeek escaped her mouth. David noticed and turned to Vlad. "Are all adult wizards like that?"

"No. Father is nothing like that." Vlad replied, as if hurt. David chewed on the thought, remembering how Vlad's father had acted. He was not quite so confident in Vlad's assessment.

"What's his problem?" said a voice beside them. David looked over to see boy next to them. He was Asian, his hair cropped short and his dark brown eyes watching Vlad walk away. David felt an instant connection to the boy. It was not due to the fact that the clothes they were wearing were of a similar style, but the way he moved seemed to match his own.

"He respects his father." David replied.

"Hmm." the boy thought before responding. "Seems a bit childish to me."

"Yeah maybe." David agreed. They walked for several minutes before the Professor lead them to a large staircase that seemed to lead outside. They had been walking for nearly a half hour, and David was not the only one who groaned when they reached it.

"No complaining!" Professor Clemens yelled down at them as he ascended the stairs. "Now move it!" David could not help but notice the the Professor was taking the stairs at double speed, but he still had enough to yell at them and not get winded.

"Spry old man, ain't he?" the Asian boy laughed beside him. "Bet you I can catch up to him." David smirked at the challenge and looked Evangeline at his side. She sighed, but still smiled and let his arm go.

"I warn you, David Crowley. I don't like losers." She said while pointing a finger at him. David laughed as he joined the Asian boy at the foot of the stairs.

"Hey wait up!" Vlad yelled, joining them. "I'll race you guys too!" The three of them all stood side by side and waited as Evangeline began a countdown behind them. David normally never had any boys his age to contend with, but David could feel that they were the same as he was. They all shared something in common that could not be explained. A uncharacteristic need to beat them rose up within David, and his body instantly began flooding with adrenaline.

"Is this a private event, or is it open to anybody?" A boy asked. David's attention was diverted from the race to respond to the speaker, a thinly built with short blonde hair that bordered white and icy blue eyes. From his appearance, David would have assumed the the boy had not ran a single day in his life. However, David felt an instant feeling of rivalry and nodded his agreement. The boy's straight face broke into a childish grin before he took his position to David's left.

"Ready! SET!" She called, as all of the first years parted before them. "GOOOOO!"

David pushed down hard with his right foot and used his arms to thrust him forward. Without looking, David instantly knew that his new friends were right beside him as they began ascending the steps. David, taking them two at a time, was surprised at how far Professor Clemens had gotten ahead of them. At the speed the Professor's legs were working, he doubted they had any chance of catching up before the top of the stairs. Behind him, he could hear the rest of the class beginning their ascension, even if it was at a leisurely pace.

Seconds turned to minutes and minutes to hours. They were no longer running, but weakly taking single steps at a time. They had gone up several floors through the maze. Through long corridors and wide halls, up several flights of stairs of many different kinds. They only reason they knew where they were going was because they would always catch a glimpse of Professor Clemen's as he wisked around a corner far ahead of them. Luckily, his companions were just as fatigued, but none of them were relenting. They were lathered in sweat, their clothes sticking hotly to their skin. The only sound besides their feet against the stone was the never ending heavy breathing that accompanied them. David doubted he had ever been so tired. Without realizing it, David kept running while the other turned down a tunnel. He was so lost in his thoughts that he did not notice that they were gone until he hit a dead end. Confused, he doubled back and took a hallway that had a staircase at the end of it.

The staircase led him out onto a wide ledge that was outside, the island hanging far above him. He looked around and saw a spiral staircase built into a stalagmite column that was attached to the island shelf high above him. He crossed the courtyard and realized the stone structure was over fifty feet wide and was more of a tower than a staircase as he passed floor after floor on his way up. David finally reached the top and stopped on the landing, which intersected a long, thin, but extremely tall hallway. It was barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side, with torches built into little holes carved into the stone walls. Only the ones on his right were lit. David sighed and turned right and followed the tunnel that seemed to have to end that he could see.

A soft sound like someone softly and slowly exhaling echoed from behind him and David spun around rapidly to an empty, yet suddenly unlit tunnel. The hairs on his neck and arms pricked up as a cold stillness washed over him and it felt liked eyes were following him as he followed the still lit portion of the hall. Each time he passed a torch, David could have swore he heard whispers coming from the flames, warning him to run away. David took a deep breath and shook the thought out of his head after a few moments of trying to hear the noise again before continueing. The tunnel grew wider up ahead, and David approached an extremely old set of wood doors, thick and heavy. More whispers seemed to come from all around him as he reached up to push the door open, but when he stopped to listen, they went away again.

He gathered his courage and pushed open the door, which creaked so loudly that the torches behind him went out completely. Light came from a balcony in the room beyond. Thin beams of sunlight were visible in the dusty hall. It was circular, but the balcony was on a raised section that was also circular, giving the floor the look of a crescent moon. David slowly crossed the room and ascended the five steps onto the platform to examine the balcony. It was covered with a thin veil of a nearly transluscent white fabric David could not identify, and it was completely clean. He parted the veil carefully and stepped carefully onto the balcony. It looked to be on the side of the island. There was nothing above him anymore except sky. On the balcony railing, David noticed a small bronze plate that looked to be set into the stone and approached it.

_In the whole of the world,_

_In the whole of the world,_

_ We must hide who we are._

_We must hide who we are._

_ It is only in this hallowed place_

_It is only in this hallowed place_

_ that we are allowed to be _

_that we are allowed to be_

_ who we really are._

_who we really are._

_ Ourselves._

_ourselves_

_ This place holds the last of us,_

_this place holds the last of us,_

_ the seldom few._

_the seldom few._

_ Yet here we have a safe haven,_

_Yet here we have a safe heaven,_

_ here we have a family,_

_here we have a family,_

_ here we have a home._

_here we have a home._

_ This place, shrouded in mists,_

_This place, shrouded in mists,_

_ is our Oasis._

_is our oasis._

__David read what he could, yet had no idea how to read the strange language that was below it. A hand slapped on his shoulder, making David jump in suprise and cry out. He wheeled around to see Vlad and the other two guys standing there behind him.

"Son of a bitch! You assholes, you nearly gave me a fucking heart attack!" David growled as they laughed at him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"What are _we_ doing here? We came looking for you!" the Asian boy replied, poking David in the chest.

"Had a hell of a time finding you too." Vlad agreed. "Where are we?" he added as he looked around.

"I have no idea." David admitted. "But this strange language is all over the walls in the room back there." He stepped aside and allowed the three of them to read the bronze plate for themselves.

"Wait. Oasis?" the pale boy asked.

"That's what it said." Vlad agreed. "That is the same name as the town. What do you think, David?"

David shuffled uncomfortably for a moment or two before replying. "I've been thinking. Based on its shape, size, color, and the stone its made of, this floating island used to be where the town of Oasis lies now." he replied. David's neck cringed against his will as if someone touched it against his will and a cold wind blew in from the tunnel. Once again, a sound similar to a soft and slow exhale came from that direction, but this time a low mist rolled slowly across the floor.

"Are. You. Fucking. Kidding. Me." Vlad said softly. From where they were standing, they could see straight down the tunnel, into the lightless tunnel from which this fog was appearing.

"I am not going back that way." the asian boy stated.

"Look around. What other way out is there?" the blonde kid asked.

"We could jump?" the asian boy replied, a mixture of hope and sarcasm in his voice. A low guttral growl echoed from the tunnel and David could have swore he saw a figure, something blacker than the darkness behind it.

"That...may not be a bad idea." Vlad agreed with a weak chuckle. David drew his wand and pointed it at the tunnel and cried, "Lumos!" The tip of his wand glowed and a beam of light filled the hallway and David saw something white. Before he could identify what it was, a high pitched screech made them all cover their ears in pain and the fog quickly got sucked back into the tunnel, along with the darkness and with a bang that shook loose dust from the stone interior of the room, all the torches relit themselves.

All four of them stood staring with expressions full of fear. The asian boy was the first to say something.

"What in the name of fuck was _that_?" he said quietly, as if speaking too loud would cause it to come back.

"I don't know." David replied, shaking his head in disbelief. "But I am leaving before it decides to come back." So they ran. Ran down the tunnel, and David could not help but notice that there was a long patch of floor where the floor had been brushed off, getting rid of all signs of any footprints. They ran down the steps and through the courtyard, with Vladimir leading them back onto the path that Professor Clemens had wanted them to go. Then they kept running. It did not matter how much they had ran before, as fear propelled them up the stairs for several moments before David felt safe once again and slowed to a stop before sinking down to sit on the steps.

As if taking it as a sign, they sat down as well. The blonde boy sat next to him, his hand propping his up on the stair behind him. Two steps below, Vlad had laid down on his back and covered his eyes with his forearm. A step higher, the Asian boy was sitting against the rock wall, his head drooped in exhaustion. They were all sweating heavily, covered in dirt, and still shaking from their close encounter with what lurked in the shadows. As he looked at them, they all looked up at him. Something passed between them. A mutual understanding, a common obstacle that had now bonded them as friends. Through their exhaustion, a tired laughter overtook them, growing into wild fits of laughter. They were having fun. Even having been scared witless by an unknown creature, they loved it all and secretly craved more.

"Yuri Rowenthal." The blonde kid introduced himself to the group. "Nice to meet you."

"Vladimir Alexander Gabranth the Third." Vlad breathed, nodding in reply.

"Yukio Hiruma." the Asian boy replied. "But call me Snow."

"David Crowley." David finished. They all sat quietly as they tried to catch their breathe for a few moments.

"Anyone have any idea how close we are to the top?" Vlad asked, laying back down.

"I would say you young men should have reached the top a few hours ago." David turned to see Professor Clemens descending the steps toward them. "If these ruins were normal that is." When the Professor reached them, the entire space around them shifted and revealed the top of the stairs, which David sat one stair from the top. The stairs reached the entrance hall, a large hallway that was carved from a cave, complete with massive supporting arches and tall stone statues of people David assumed were notable wizards. The cavern was at least 100 feet tall at its highest point and close to 1000 feet long, decorated with torches and long red banners. The entire class was laying about this cavern and looking at David with interest.

"The most of your class performed as expected, giving up within an hour of starting. One or two of them made it past that first hour." Professor Clemens explained. "This was a test to see what your limits were. You would never reach the top until you stopped to rest. You boys are far above what I would have considered average. You nearly reached the top of the island by yourselves. Well done. What is your name?" David noticed that he was pointing at Yuri, who replied immediately.

"Well done, Mr. Rowenthal, you are ranked #1 in your class. Mr. Crowley, you are #2. I am sure you gentlemen can figure out the order. You are the top of your class. Now that we are finished here, I believe it is time to move on. I think you gentlemen need a bath."

"Sir, why am I #1? David got as far as I did." Yuri wondered.

"Because of that." Professor Clemens replied, pointing at Yuri's hand on the landing. "Even though it was by a hand, you still progressed farther than Mr. Crowley."

"Now come on." Professor Clemens growled. "It is time to move onto the placement test. Move your ass!" They all sprang to their feet, including the students who had waited and they began following the Professor through the entry hall. Evangeline ran up and stood beside them as they waited to the crowd to thin out a bit before following as well, allowing them the freedom to talk in whispered voices.

"Sorry David." Yuri apologized. "It was an unfair way to win." David pat his back half-heartedly and was instantly cheered up by Evangeline, who hooked his arm and offered him a peck on the cheeck. The thought quickly slipped from David's mind as they passed through the door of the Entry Hall. On the other side, they entered a huge garden full of hundreds of trees which balanced atop pillars of stone that were in shapes that defied physics. They followed silently through the garden and up a dizzying maze of stairs before finally finding the surface.

Upon further inspection, David realized they were now on top of the island itself. Gentle mountain slopes covered in evergreens and huge plains of open grass covered the surrounding area. Professor Clemens led them along a flag stone path that wound its way up the hillside before reaching a large structure. An ancient area carved into the earth at the top of the mountain. It gave a pretty amazing view of the rest of the island. They stood atop one of the lowest mountains of the range. Behind them were tall snow capped mountains shrouded in a thin cloud cover. These mountains were on David would call the South part of the island, as it was the direction the castle faced. The castle seemed bigger and far more magical from this location, and it was still several miles away.

On the east part of the island was a large blue lake dotted by a few lush islands. The water twinkled brightly in the sunlight and waterfalls sprouted from the mountain range, formed into a flowing river that filled the lake, which then seemed to break into small rivers that spilled over the edge of the island in the distance. Behind the castle on the north end was the biggest forest David had ever seen, so dense that it looked as if no light ever reached the ground. The rest of island to the west was what interested David the most. A countryside with fields and small structures, such as a tower that looked to house birds. But mostly, the area was filled with a village of respectable size. Many houses and buildings covered a lazy hillside. David could barely make out the people walking throughout the village, going about their daily tasks.

"Form up, ladies and gentlemen, and take a seat. You will see that your seats are numbered. Please sit in the number corresponding with the rank you received. Double time, I do not want to wait longer than I have to." Professor Clemens exclaimed. The numbers were random, to split apart the rankings evenly, David supposed, and it took David a while to find the section of stone in the circular arena marked with a '2'. He sat and found that Evangeline, number 15, sat right next to him, to her great delight. When they were all seated, Professor Clemens cleared his throat to catch their attention.

"It is time to decide what your class will be." Professor Clemens announced. "Your proctor for this year's placement will be this woman, Professor Mary Singbell." He motioned to a woman standing in the center of the arena. She looked extremely ill tempered, with a flowing green dress, square spectacles, and long, extremely curly black hair. She did not fit her name.

"Thank you, Charlemagne." She nodded before turning her attention to the students. "This school had three classes that you will be separated into. Each class has a set of skills that suit your abilities and will help you learn easier. I will explain each of these to you so will better understand which class you are entering."

"The Asur Oriour, a house founded by Rex Igneel the Red Mage. Asur favor complex magic and powerful spells. People who become Asur have many of the same traits. Powerful. Courageous. Stubborn. Charismatic. They are people who like to lead, be noticed and loved by those around them. They are a very loyal kind. Spells from this class are very dangerous. Like the Fire Bolt spell. _Ignis Rae_!" She pointed her wand into the air and a beam of fire, brighter than the day light and warmer than the sun seemed to split the sky in two, but was gone as quickly as it came, leaving a residual image temporarily burned into David's vision.

"The LOTUS, the house founded by Ariel Aquarius, Keeper of Tomes. Lotus are highly intelligent and quick thinkers. They favor spells that require more conscious thought. Lotus are taught the language of Magic, brought to us by Aquarius and spend many hours learning incantations. They are Kind. Trusting. Thoughtful. Most Lotus are gifted at healing and other spells of such nature. But they specialize in abilities of advanced difficulty, like the Patronus Charm. _Expecto Patronum_!" A white fog-like substance erupted from her wand and formed into a flying dolphin. It flew over the class to oohs and ahhs before fading away.

"The Elden Crest, founded by 'Holy Knight' Seranas Caladin. Elden Crest are fighters by nature and specialize in combat magic, counter spells, and other spells useful in any wizard duel. They are trained in melee combat to overcome a weakness most wizard youths possess. They are dependable and knowledgeable. Honorable. Trustworthy. They are the support, preferring to step aside and letting someone else lead. Trained in weapons, Elden Crest are experts at enchantments." Professor Clemens approached her and handed her a sword, which she took without question. She turned the sword to the side and twisted the hilt with her palm once. The bottom of the handle slid out and she placed her wand inside, almost like putting in a battery, before sliding the bottom in. Gripping the sword, Professor Singbell placed the palm of her left hand over her right and took a ready position.

"The Aegis, a special weapon designed by Seranas Caladin after the discovery of the Runes. The Aegis enables the wizard to fight while maintaining his spell casting abilities. _Enfire_!" The sword glowed red before licks of flame rose from the metal. She slowly went through a well practiced swordplay routine before uttering, "_Dispel_." She removed her wand in a similar manner as before and returned the sword to Professor Clemens. "Any questions before we go on?" Several hands went up and she scanned the crowd.

"You, what is your name?" Professor Singbell asked.

"Yuri Rowenthal, Professor." Yuri replied as he stood up. "What about the fourth founder? Gawain the Lost? Why doesn't he have a house?"

"Yes. Excellent question, Mr. Rowenthal. Gawain the Lost was the original wizard who discovered the Runes back in 1407 and led many to their location in New World to study their teachings with his friends, the three founders. However, soon after establishing this school, for reasons unknown, Gawain sealed his Tower and left the school, never to be seen again. As to how to identify the fourth house members, the methods were hidden with the Lost Runes, hidden by Gawain." Professor Singbell replied. David remembered the four statues outside of the Oasis branch, and realized that they were crafted in the image of the four founders.

"But if there are no more questions, I will explain how we will be sorting you." Professor Singbell continued. David was thankful that no one else rose their hands.

"Okay then, let us begin."


	7. Chapter 7

"First things first." Professor Singbell said, she held out her wand and a small red bubble appeared at its tip. "This is how you will be tested. You are going to hold out your wand in front of you just like I am, then, when this is spell comes at you, how your wand reacts will reveal your class. This spell, the Revelis Bubble Charm has been specially designed for this purpose and had been 100% accurate." The bubble floated away and floated back to the tip of the Professor wand.

"For the Asur, the wand will react by increasing the size of the Revelis Bubble Charm. The Lotus wand will react by creating copies of the Revelis Bubble Charm. The Elden Crest will respond by reflecting the spell back at me. Shall we begin? When I call your name, please step onto the platform, submit your wand for inspection, and then we will perform the test." David suddenly hated having a last name starting with 'C'. "Abbott, Alex?" A brown haired girl stepped onto the platform and handed the Professor her wand. She flicked it, sending out red sparks before returning it to its owner.

"Ready?" Professor Singbell asked. The bubble floated toward Alex Abbott slower than David would have thought. Nervous, Alex Abbott poked the bubble, which instantly split into three multicolored bubbles.

"Lotus!" Professor Singbell yelled. Applause filled the circle, but not from the students awaiting to be tested, but from the entire school, which had gathered, unnoticed, to watch.

"You may join your fellow Lotus now." Professor Singbell told Alex Abbott. "Your class mentor will explain everything once the sorting is over. Alex Abbott left the stage and ascended the stairs to an accepting crowd. Professor Singbell looked at her clipboard and called out another name, "Patty Anderson!", who became another Lotus. Then Robert Brown (Asur), Marcus Bruce (Lotus), Alisha Cash became the first Elden Crest, followed by Nicole Cooper, who joined Lotus to the great joy of Alex Abbott. Finally, Professor Singbell looked up and called, "Crowley, David." David's legs were jelly and his heart refused to calm down. Evangeline gave his hand a soft squeeze as he stood up. He tried to give her a confident smile, but he was sure it came out as a nervous twitch.

"Go David GO!" Vlad yelled, from his seat.

"Yeah!" Snow agreed, followed by a "Do it, Crowley!" from Yuri. David stretched to crack his back and descended the few levels until he could hop up onto the stage. Why did he have to have stage fright, David wondered with a sigh. He drew his wand and handed it to Professor Singbell. Her eyes widened as soon as she saw the wand. As far as he had seen, David's wand was the only one with any non-wood color, let alone etchings.

"Very interesting wand, Mr. Crowley." Professor Singbell remarked. She flicked it, and instead of sparks, a large purple fireball shot out and set fire to Professor Clemens robes, who stood at the top of the hill. He exclaimed and cursed loudly as he stamped it out. "Very interesting indeed." she said again. As soon as the Professor returned his wand, he felt a feeling of elation flow into his hand from the wand. A small blue arch of static electricity temporarily connected his hand and the wand.

"Ready, Mr. Crowley?" Professor Singbell asked. Professor Clemens had come down from the hill and now was standing ringside to observe. The bubble floated from her wand just as it had the few times before. David stood with his wand out in front of him and noticed something odd when the bubble seemed to get sucked onto the tip of his wand as if by a powerful magnet. Professor Singbell let out a tiny noise of amazement. Nothing happened. David felt the bottom of his stomach fall out and stood there, staring at the bubble, willing for something to happen.

"What is it doing?" Professor Clemens asked.

"I think...that it is having trouble deciding." she replied. David felt something inside of him, a feeling that was trying to help him decide on which class he like, but David did not really care, which made the spell try even harder. As it probed his feelings, it touched something and it was consumed like paper in a fire. The feeling of intense pressure returned, greater than it ever had before. It surged through every vein, searching frantically for a way to escape. It was like a monster had been released inside him, and was threatening to tear him apart in order to escape. David willed it into the wand, which took considerably more effort than normal, and released it into the bubble.

David realized his mistake an instant later, when the bubble burst into green flames. Green flames that had David's flesh cry out in agony from the heat covered the entire bubble, which then slowly began to swell.

"Well, Mr. Crowley, it looks like you will be an amazingly powerful Asur-" Professor Singbell's words were cut off when the bubble multiplied, not once or twice, but continuously. It seemed like there was a new bubble every few seconds, each growing and wreathed in green flames. The sensation inside David continued to grow and flow out into the wand, and he was having an incredibly hard time holding it back. Instinctively, David redirected his wand up into the sky and willed with all his might that the spell release. A loud explosion went off feet from David's wand and hundreds of green pillars of fire tore through the sky. The shockwave was powerful enough to drive everyone standing backwards and crack the stone beneath David's feet. People were screaming in terror and getting to their feet.

"Calm down! Calm Down!" Professor Singbell cried. "Nothing to be scared of!" She turned her attention back to David, laying flat on his back.

"Are you okay, Mr. Crowley?" She asked, leaning over him.

"Yes ma'am. I apologize." David replied.

"Based on your answer, Crowley, I know exactly which class to put you in." Professor Clemens replied. Professor Singbell nodded and then exclaimed, "Elden Crest!" Professor Clemens helped David to his feet and patted him on the shoulder.

"It is one of the rules." Professor Clemens explained to him.

"Anyone who shows characteristics of all three classes they are to be placed in Elden Crest for training, and be allowed to read any learning material of other classes." Professor Singbell confirmed. "Last time this happened was 20 years ago with Assistant Headmaster Merlin, when he was placed. We're expecting great things from you, Mr. Crowley." David could not help but think that he had heard those words before. He looked at his wand, and felt that their expectations of him were based off of the unusual powers of his wand. David was unaware of the cheering as he ascended the steps to join his fellow Elden Crest. He did notice, however, that each wore green cloths somewhere. One wore the cloth as a bandana, another had it tied around his right bicep. They each wore it somewhere as to identify themselves among the other students. It was not long, however, before he was pulled back into the tides of his thoughts and forgot about them completely. He watched absently as Vlad was placed in the Lotus and disappeared into a sea of blue flags. David searched for him before Evangeline caught his attention with a happy wave as she was placed in the Asur class, with Yuri a few moments later.

"Alright students. Your mentors will meet with you and explain things to you before dinner. I look forward to a good year." Professor Singbell called out when the sorting had finished.

"Glad that is over." Snow sighed, catching David's attention with a pat on the shoulder.

"Snow? You're a Elden Crest too?" David asked, happy to know someone in his class.

"Yeah, weren't you watching?" Snow asked, but sighed when he saw the sheepish smile on David's face and said something in Japanese. "Ah man, you are unbelievable." Alisha Cash and a few other Elden Crest first years were standing nearby and looking at two people who approached them.

"First Rule: Do not call yourselves Elden Crest. We are Knights, and don't you forget it. Only the Professor's call us by that nonsense." The speaker was a girl with bright green eyes and flaming red hair, which matched her splash of freckles. Her smile showed perfectly white and straight teeth, which made her all black outfit stand out in contrast, which looked to be all band memorabilia. Just behind her was a man who shared the same features in man form, and his outfit looked like he just walked out from a fashion magazine. On his head he wore a straight black fedora that covered his head, his long red hair pulled back into a loose ponytail.

"Me name's Geof." The boy introduced himself shaking David's hand. "Me git sister name's Shyla. We're t' be your mentors today." Shyla threw him a foul look before shaking their hands as well.

"Geoffrey here is my twin brother. You'll have to excuse his lack of manners as he is a stupid git." She continued, throwing him a sneer and getting a few nervous first years to laugh in the process.

"Piss off." Geof remarked.

"You are Knights now. Welcome to the Brotherhood, as we call it. See that tower up there?" David shielded his eyes against the sun to look up at the highest tower in the entire castle, to which Shyla was pointing. "That is your dormitory and after dinner we will escort you there, and anywhere you need for the next few days. Any questions so far? Good. Follow me." When she turned, David could not help up notice a silver scabbard at her side, holding a sword that was an exact copy of the one Professor Singbell had used before, except that it was about a foot longer. Shyla walked ahead of them and Geof, who David liked a bit more, began talking to them as a group.

"As a Knight, there are certain rules that yer required to memorize an' uphold. First, piss off me sister." Geof smiled, ducking a glare she threw as they moved through the wild. "The Second Rule is that ya never reveal your lessons to anyone outside our lil' circle o' love. There are three times as many those Lotus fucks and twice as many o' them Asur bastards as us Knights, and the three are constantly playing King o' the Hill for dominance. Third Rule is 'bout responsibility. They're your actions, so don't fuck'em up, right? Fourth Rule isn't fightin' with members o' the other Houses. If ya do, ya risk the entire House coming down on your ass, and we be the ones to bail your scrawny hide outta trouble, hear?"

"You make it sound like a battle." Snow replied.

"Yea. That's exactly what it is. Once a year, we hold a little tourney down in the dungeons, a little one-on-one sparring if you will, to represent our "pride." Meself, I do it for the lassies, going on me third year now. Its a rush. Nothing like it."

"Do people..die?" a raven haired girl asked.

"Nah. But more than a few have tried to, but the others students, we watch out for one another. Just because of a rivalry doesn't mean we go'n off our classmates, you know what I mean? The other rules are just common sense things. Like no stealin', or picking on others, and all that shit. We all be the same and equal. Stuff like that. Twelve in all, only the first one needs any real explanation."

"Does anyone have any prior training of any kind?" Shyla asked from the head of the back. David murmured a feeble no, like the rest of his House, but Snow replied differently.

"Yes." he said. Shyla stopped and looked at them, before focusing more on Snow.

"What kind?" Snow went kind of pink and scratched his head awkwardly.

"My father is kind of like a Nazi sometimes. He forced me to train in martial arts since I was a little kid." he answered.

"What kind?" she repeated patiently.

"Dunno really. I would get a new instructor every year, and every year it was something different. I think one year I learned Muay Thai, then Jujitsu and Karate. One year I learned American Boxing, followed shortly after by Taekwondo. Been like that for nearly 14 years." Shyla walked forward and gentled pressed on Snow's left shoulder, then chest. Snow was about to ask what she was doing when she squatted down and felt his legs. When she stood, she only said one word. "Shirt."

Snow was confused as he pulled his shirt over his head to reveal the most lean and fit body David had every laid eyes on. Several girls in class turned very pink. Every inch of his chest and arms was covered in lean muscle. There were no scars or bumps or anything but pale marble-like skin, rippling muscle, and sinew.

"Looks like your father pounded basic training into you your whole life." She replied, handing him back his shirt before turning to lead the pack again. "Your father changed your instructors before your muscles became too accustomed to that martial art, forcing it to adapt and accelerating your growth. I can see why you became a Knight."

"Enjoy it while you can, boy-o." Geof whispered when she had pulled ahead of them. "She's such a rotten old hag most o' time I'd forgot'n the bitch could still give a compliment. Won't last long though. Don't think she could be pleasant for more than ten seconds now can-nae? OI!" Geof had failed to realize that Shyla had stopped to listen and had walked straight into an open palm, which caught him in the face. He had long enough to utter an extremely foul curse word before Shyla had drawn her wand and uttered, " _Petrificus Totalus_." Geof's arms and legs snapped together and he went completely rigid, unable to break his fall as he landed flat on his chest against the hillside. Shyla rolled him over and patted his face in mock comfort. David could see that only Geof's eyes could move, and the look he was giving Shyla said far more than his words. She huffed and pointed her wand at his face. "_Ocular Bumblus_." Geof's eyes instantly went pink and watered as they swelled up so tight he could not see, as if his eyes had been stung by several bees. She then turned and proceeded to walk down the path, leaving her brother alone in his torment. David silently followed, resigning himself to enjoy the countryside. The island was very beautiful. The path descended the side of the mountain, turning into a long flight of steps that were made of stones, which looked to be a natural rock formation, but the perfection of it was impossible by natural standards.

It all brought David a sense of calm as he looked ahead along the path as it entered a wooded area of lush trees that followed the bankside of a clear blue river, which snaked around the hillside before curving towards the distant town. What amazed David the most was the bridge that path used to cross the river. It was made of wood, but not carved or built, but it looks at if the growth had been manipulated into an extremely intricate bridge, with handrails and a full roof that had an extremely elegant look. More amazing still was the fact that the bridge still had many leafy branches growing from it, making it blend in perfectly with its surrounding enviornment.

"So pretty! I bet Elves made that!" another girl, Alisha Cash, said to them all.

"Elves? They exist?" David asked Snow, his mind bringing up images of all the fantasy movies and novels he had seen.

"Well, not anymore. They're supposedly extinct." Shyla replied. "They fled the Old World many centuries ago as mans population grew and their forests dwindled. They fled here, to the New World, but centuries later, humans spread here too." David and Snow shared a look that told them that they were both thinking of the same thing. That bronze plate down in the ruins far below them.

"There hasn't been a reported sighting of an Elf for over one hundred years. The last one to be seen was on this island, right?" Snow wondered.

"That's correct. Good job, Hiruma." she said simply. David felt hollow suddenly, as he looked upon the bridge that was so perfectly in sync with nature. The plate suddenly made more sense to him. The elves fled to their Oasis, and still the humans came. He felt resentment towards his own kind and their stupid actions that sometimes did more harm than good.

"David, may I ask you a question?" Shyla's voice said, even though she did not turn away from the path.

"I guess so." he replied, feeling slightly vulnerable.

"How did you do that at the test?" she wondered.

"Yeah, I was wondering that myself." Snow agreed. David sighed, then began trying to find the words to describe it.

"I didn't." he shrugged. Without saying anything, they continued walking as they awaited him to continued explaining. David had hoped that simple statement would have been enough to bring them away from the subject, but continued a few moments later.

"I no longer believe that the few spells I perform are entirely me." David stated. "The beginning starts with me, its my magic and I am deciding the spell. But once that happens, something takes over. I don't know what words I can use to describe the feeling other than that it feels like I am a cup, and the hot liquid being poured inside me is about to flow over my edges and spill. Its frightening, but at the same time, a sort of...bliss accompanies the power. I have to force it into the wand with my mind. When it reaches my wand, it grows far beyond my reaches. Explodes and multiplies upon itself, again and again and again. And I always have to force it to release, and every time the power of the spell has been...too much."

"I'm not sure I understand." Shyla admitted. David ran his fingers through his hair in aggrivation. He was hoping that words would be enough. He stepped off the steps into the meadow nearby and turned to face Shyla, who had stopped for him.

"Perform a spell. Any spell you want." David urged her. She frowned slightly, before turning slightly away from him, pointed at the sky and yelled, "_Ignis Rae_!" As before, a line of heat and light split the sky in two, burning its image into his eyes and making him turn away to protect himself.

"That is not fair." Snow cried out. "We don't even know the basics of magic yet, and you go and use an advanced spell like that?"

"He said: Any spell you want." Shyla replied, matter-of-factly. David did not have a problem however. Having seen the spell performed, he had a gut feeling that he knew how it worked, but could not discount the tingling sensation of the wand in his hand. Silently, David turned the same direction Shyla had and pointed his want out. There was not wand movements for this spell. It was all knowledge and application. He briefly heard the words, "_Ignis Rae_!", escape his lips. As he spoke the words, he imagined the sunlight of the entire line before his wand focusing into a single point of space.

As always, a hot feeling exploded through his core and flooded his entire body with raw power. Somehow, on instinct, David realized that the point that he was focusing on was too close, but did not move to correct it. David briefly noted that events were suddenly out of his control, but something in his mind crushed the thought with a flood of confidence that did not go unnoticed by the logical part of David's mind. The magic was reversed and David began to absorb the power of the spell without even knowing what he was doing. Everything around him seemed to be split into two realms. He was still standing there in the few seconds after he had cast the spell, but everything from then was also going in slow motion in his mind, and his surroundings were hightened. He notcied that everything had a nearly invisible outline of light that sharpened his vision. His skin twinkled like stars for just an instant before his entire body glowed white, both events had not lasted more than an instant before the light looked like white flames.

The magic in his body was somehow, against his knowledge, absorbing the light around him and magnifying it. Everything around him grew darker as the light his body was expelling grew. David knew he was no longer in control of his actions, and began pushing everything out of his body and into the wand. Something inside him was pushing back, wanting to continue increasing the spell, but David mentally shoved it away and released the spell.

A white circle appeared around the tip of his wand, turning clockwise. Then runes appeared around it, runes David had never seen in his life, and they began rotating counter clockwise. Another ring, turning clockwise as well, surrounded the entire spell. Seven large white circles surrounded the spell, but remained stationairy as lines and glyphs, similar to the spell surroundin his wand, filled in the inside of the circle. Five glyphs that David recognized as the magical representation of the five elements appeared along the outside line of the core spell, but moved counter clock-wise at an extremely rapid pace as strange, foreign, and highly ordinate writing, the same writing that was on the bronze plate, encompassed the entire spellwork before turning extremely fast in a clockwise motion. Tiny runes and glyphs filled in all the blank spots, then the entire spell circle turned a deep red. David was vaguely awared that the entire spell was drawn so fast it should have not been visible to the naked eye before the spell activated.

The meadow burst into flame. Trees a few yards away instantly withered from the heat. A concussive blast flew in all directions, throwing Snow and Shyla off their feet completely. The rest of the class was far back enough to escape most of the force and simply fell backwards. A deafening roar like that of a monster filled David's ears before he went deaf and heard nothing but his rapid breathing. David's entire arm shuttered from the force of the spell and from his position, it looked like David had created a giant sun, at least ten times larger than it appeared in the sky. He hated it. He hated his power, and his lack of control and understanding of it. He became aware that he was yelling in rage as the spell tore through the sky, igniting the clouds, making them either burst into flames or be pushed away by the force of the spell across the horizon. Tears of hatred streamed from the outer corners of his eyes as he knew that he would not be able to close off this spell until its power was used up. The grass crumbled to ash, the trees caught on fire, the soil around his feet kicked up and blew as if from a powerful wind. David's hearing returned and the spell shrunk and disappeared, leaving only a big black hole in the sky through which David could see billions of stars. The rip in the sky quickly shrunk and disappeared, leaving only the normal blue sky, and David standing alone in a patch of scorched earth, surrounded by burning trees.

People were running up the path, all teachers and students in their final year. Many of them ran to nearby trees and began putting out the flames with spouts of water from their wands, a few went to check on Snow and Shyla, who were laying on their backs at the edge of the clearing, several yards from the stone path. Only two ran to David, and elderly woman with long white hair as pure as fresh snow and eyes as blue as the sky that David tore. She wore elegant silk robes of emerald and fusha purple, and carried herself with a grace that David thought to be inhuman. Beside her was a man in his early thirties, his blonde hair as long as his height, pulled into a tight braid, which was thrown over both shoulders, like a golden necklace. His eyes were the same bright blue as his companion, but his all black robes looked more suited to activities like marital arts and had sleeves that covered his hands by more than a foot.

"Mr. Crowley, I assume. You had best come with me." The woman said, her voice sounded at least thirty years younger than she appeared. An unusual smell came from her that David could not discribe. David, still stunned from the spell, did not move at first, but a the young man's hand was on his shoulder and in his ear the man said, " I think you should do what Lady Elemanty asks you, Mr. Crowley." David felt his heart fall to his shoes as he followed the Headmaster, Lady Elemanty, towards the castle.


	8. Chapter 8

David sat silently in his wooden chair outside the Headmistress' office while she and Professor Merlin discussed something in private. He felt wretched. A sickening feeling would not leave the pit of his stomach and it felt like something was making it hard to breathe. Regret, he believed to be the cause. He had been alone for more than an hour. Before him was the ordinately large door that led into the Office of the Headmistress, where Professor Elemanty had berated him for what felt like an eternity. His chair, amazingly hard, even for a wood chair, was in a long hallway near the top of the castle. From the size of her office, David believed it to be above the Grand Hall, which they had walked through on thier way to her office.

His wand lay in his lap, staring back at him through its pale white runes, making him feel foolish on top of everything else he had felt. The double doors creaked open and Professor Merlin approached David with steady measure, as if he was observing a rare specimen under a magnifying glass.

"Professor Singbell notified us of the unique measure of which you were placed into the ranks of the Elden Crest 'Knights'." Professor Merlin stated, his voice sounding as if the news was supposed to suprise him. David could do nothing more than stare back at him as Professor Merlin's head slowly tipped to the side.

"Control, Mr. Crowley, is something that you are to learn, and learn well." Professor Merlin continued as soon as his neck was all the way to the side. "We will be lax in your punishment this ONE time, as no one was injured and you have yet to recieve proper schooling."

"Thank you." David managed to murmur half-heartedly.

"On the flip side of the coin, due to your-" He paused to search for the word he wished to use. "-Unique...nature, you have been assigned a mentor. Someone who has experienced your situation, and will be able to show you the proper path." David's mind recalled Professor Singbell's words before replying to Professor Merlin.

"So you then, Professor Merlin, are to be my mentor." David acknowledged.

"Strangely perceptive, Mr. Crowley." Professor Merlin said aloud, more to himself. "Mind if I run some tests?" David sighed and nodded. He was starting to feel like he was different than these wizards after all. Professor Merlin pulled a box from inside his robes, and revealed an ordinary stack of playing cards.

"What, no runes?" David remarked sarcastically.

"No, that would be the other pocket." Professor Merlin replied, his head tilted to the side like a bird, as his eyes questioned him. David could not help but smile at the simplicity of his new mentor. Professor Merlin skillfully shuffled the deck and performed a few aerial tricks for David's benefit before setting the deck before David and using the oldest coined phrase in card tricks. "Pick a card, any card." David picked up the stack and shuffled it himself, before suddenly turning and slamming the entire deck against the wall, causing the entire card deck to scatter. One single card lay stuck to the wall, face down so David would not be able to see it.

Professor Merlin hooted in interest and pick up the card, while the entire deck magically recollected itself in his hand. When David was shown the card he chose completely at random, he laughed that it was the Joker card.

"Okay, Mr. Crowley, this is the test." Professor Merlin said, holding up the card for David to notice. "Follow the card." He instantly threw it up in the air, and began an amazing aerial shuffle that swept up the Joker and reentered it into the deck. David had trouble following the card as it passed back and forth and through wild arches in Professor Merlin's skillful manual dexterity. David thought of numbers so he would remember where it was in the pack. Finally, Professor Merlin set the deck in front of him and skillfully fanned it out.

"Where is your card, Mr. Crowley?" he asked, watching David carefully. David looked down at the pile and noticed instantly that something was odd about the cards. Smiling, David looked back up at Professor Merlin and replied, "It is in your sleeve, Professor."

Professor Merlin blinked several times and broke into a smile of his own. "How did you know?" He asked, as he withdrew the card from his sleeve.

"The count." David replied, pointing at the cards. "I noticed that one was suddenly missing." Professor Elemantly exited her office and was obviously suprised to see them still sitting there, but was even more suprised when she saw Professor Merlin smile at her. As she approached, David once again smelled the scent he could not identify. It was not a good smell, but it was not bad either. It made him feel unpleasant and nervous around her.

"What is it, Jacob?" Professor Elemanty asked, glancing at David.

"He's brilliant." he replied. Professor Elemantly made a sound that suggested that she was offended that he had ever thought otherwise.

"Did you expect him to be dim witted?" She asked increduously.

"No. He really is brilliant, Elemanty." Professor Merlin remarked. "His eyes. His mind. They are both incredible. He was able to notice a change in the cards within the instant he looked at them, then he used his mind to decern where the card was." Professor Elemanty looked at him, truly baffled, unable to understand what he was describing. Professor Merlin swept up the cards and began shuffling them just as he had before.

"You see Professor, the move is executed within a split second." he explained as he shuffled, then laid them out before her. "He was able to identify where I hid his card within the moments I took you to realize I had finished shuffling. Where is your card?" This last part was directed at David, who looked at the cards and thought a second.

"Third from the left." David responded. Professor Merlin flipped over the card and revealed that it indeed was the Joker card.

"Brilliant." he said again, but obviously was disappointed in Professor Elemanty's lack of excitement. Thinking that she simply did not understand, which seemed normal to the pair, he continued on explaining.

"You see Elemanty, if he can see such instances, then he may be able to observe the core elements of spells." He explained.

"Core Elements?" David wondered. Eager to have an audience interested, Professor Merlin turned to him and explained carefully.

"Advanced magic, like the Expecto Patronum or the Avada Kedavra do not simply work automatically. They, within a single instant, weave the entire spell midair before activating. In essence, all magic does the same thing. It is the reason why Priori Incantatum is able to identify the last spell cast by the user."

"Normally, the wand acts as the Core of the magic, but some magic is either too advanced, or far too powerful for the wand to create alone. Most wizards will cast such spells without ever having seen the spell's true form. A spell circle." Out of thin air and a puff of smoke, Professor Merlin produced an extremely thick book, its pages yellowed with age. "This is an heirloom of my ancestor." He said simply, before carefully opening it up. Inside, instead of words, were thousands of runes that David could not identify. But once Professor Merlin turned the page, there was a large drawing in the center of the page. David had a vague idea of what it was, as it was similar to the spell he saw when he cast Ignis Rae.

"This is a spell's true form." Professor Merlin described. "Before wands were crafted, wizards and witches would have to memorize these. Every detail about them is critical, and must be recreated. Words were attached to these spells to expedite the process, making it easier to cast magic. Now days, the methods in which students learn their spells have an underlining lesson. These spells circles, have become an instinct within the blood of any wizard or witch. Of course, students of the modern day are not required to memorize such-"

Professor Merlin trailed off as David turned to the window behind him and, with the tip of his wand, prefectly recreated the spell circle's every detail from memory, then breathed on the glass to reveal his handy work. The Professors stood still, struck dumb, as David returned to his seat, to which he swore he heard Professor Merlin squeak.

"That's impossible." Professor Merlin objected, closing the book and look at Professor Elemanty pleadingly, as if to ask for help.

"Is you memory idedic?" Professor Elemanty wondered.

"Pretty much." David replied. "I can recall anything I have ever seen, everything after I was five. Every page of every book I have ever read I can see clearly in my mind as if it were here before by very eyes." He glanced back at the spell circle he drew on the glass, and looked at his wand. He pointed at it over his shoulder and said, "_Lumos_." As soon as he uttered the word, the entire circle glowed as if David had just turned on a light. He did not know how he had done it, but it was something he did completely out of instinct. He could not help but notice that the Headmistress did not seem to like the light coming from the spell, and David involuntarily remembered the bony white hand he had seen earlier that same day. Intinctively, his eyes darted to her hands, but the fact that they were not the same hands he had seen before did not make the sick feeling or her smell go away.

"Did you get the boy?" said the hooded figure near the window. It was tall and obviously thin, even through the black cloak. It stood atop a stage that shaped like a circle, surrounded by stairs, in a room that resembled a crescent moon. It spoke to a man, who was trembling on his knees, at the base of the stairs, knowing his Master was in his mind, reading every thought. He wanted to try to protect himself, but that would only make matters worse. The hooded figure turned and a pair of red eyes found the man at the base of the stairs as a cruel chuckle echoed throughout the completely bare room.

"Master, I was unable to apprehend him in time." The trembling figure responded. The hooded being made a sound that sounded like a angry hiss mixed with an animal-like growl, before turning back to the window.

"By now, he has made it to the school." the hooded one replied coldly. A thin bone-like arm slowly slid from within the black folds and made a brushing motion. Black figures cloaked in smoke and shadow strode from the dark depths of the room and approached the man at the base of the stairs. As soon as he noticed them, he began screaming incessantly, clutching his head desperately as his Master flooded with images of what was to befall him for his failure.

"NO! PLEASE!" he begged. "PLEASE GIVE ME A SECOND CHANCE! I WILL GET WHAT YOU WANT, I SWEAR IT! NO! PLEASE! OH GOD, PLEASE NO! NO!" Each of the figure grabbed the man, who grew instantly white as if all the life was pulled from him, and he screamed incoherently as they dragged him into the shadows. His screams grew quieter and quieter as he approached the dark corner, until he, and his screams, were completely gone, along with the figures that took him. The hooded figure did not even move as seconds passed in silence.

"Myr." The hooded one called quietly. A man seemed to slid into the light from a dark corner, bend on one knee, his head bowed low. He was dressed in a similar fashion as his master, and did not even flinch when he felt the cold trickle of his Master enter his mind.

"You will take the mission in his stead." The hooded figure stated.

"Yes, my master." Myr replied, bowing even lower. "I have already requested the necessary items."

"You have until the end of the year." The hooded master ordered. "Or you will suffer a worse fate than he." Throughout the entire castle, a single blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the halls, but immediately stopped soon after.

After a few moments, Myr simply replied, "Yes, Master."

It was simply the best meal David had ever experienced. Each student had four silver plates in front of them at the beginning of the meal, and whatever the student thought of appeared before them. Snow had four plates with different kinds of pizza, and his goblet was always completely full of Mountain Dew. He greedily took part of both of these as if he had not eaten in days, but threw David a smile and a wink when he held up his bandaged hand. Yuri was eating a heaping pile of biscuits and gravy with thin patties of sausage and cheesy scrambled eggs with peppers and what David imagined was ham. Vlad had the largest cheesburger David could stomach. Four thick patties, with cheese and bacon on each layer, with the customary mayo, lettuce, tomato, and ketchup. Vlad squeezed his eyes tight, and mustard, pickles, and jalepeno appeared on the burger. On his other plates were curly fires and a pack of Nacho Cheese Doritos, both of which he began stacking in his burger. David looked away, slightly nauseated, and smiled at Evangeline's meal. A Chicken salad, full of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and cheese, topped with Ranch dressing. On the side, she had a small bowl of diced peaches and cottage cheese, as well as a tiny bowl of jello.

Somehow, David's plate ending up having a bit of it all. He had a small pepperoni pizza to his left, a plate of bisuits and gravy, a hamburger (one patty only) with a slice of pepperjack cheese and extra pickles, and a salad on the side.

Full after the meal, David leaned back in the couch-like chairs that lines the tables and calmly drank his goblet, which was full of a very good tea, although he had no idea what kind it was. There were five long tables that filled the Grand Hall, and a smaller table, up on a platform, sat perpendicular to them, at which the teachers were eating and chatting merrily. On the other end of the hall was the entrance that led toward the rest of the castle. The students were arranged by year from left to right, the first and second years shared one of the long tables that sat on the left of the hall. It may have seemed unfair until you looked down the table and saw how much empty space there was at the table. On the center left sat the third years, many of which were conversing loudly about the new classes they would be starting, particularly Disapparation. The center right was full of fourth years, who seemed nervous about studying for their O.W.L. exams that were due that year. And on the opposite site of the hall, on a table that was completely full of students seated side by side, were the fifth years discussing N.E.W.T. exams.

David watched all of this stoicly as he rubbed his stomach contently. He noticed that no one was leaving, but waiting for something, so he quietly waited as well. A few minutes later, Snow, having gorged himself, finally set back and burped so loud that teachers looked over increduously. Smacking his lips and his eyes heavy, he looked about the hall and met David's eyes after a few moments, before giving him a weak thumbs up. David rolled his eyes while Snow belched once again, drawing more looks than before, but silently chuckled when Snow shrugged at Yuri beside him, who looked at him in horror.

The Grand Hall grew quiet and still as the Headmistress rose to her feet and tapped her wand on a goblet.

"Welcome to another fine year at Trinity Academy of Sorcery and Runes!" She said, smiling as cheers erupted from the students. "Yes, welcome indeed. I have a few new term announcements now that we are all full. As always, First Years: It is forbidden for you to wander off the school grounds. More so, the Emerald Forest on the north end of the island is forbidden to all pupils at all times. Please let it be known that magic is not to be used in the halls or in between classrooms."

"Again, as always, Madam Bregan will be holding the Quidditch tryouts next Wednesday. Turn out had been a tad bit low as of late, and a encourage anyone with an intrest to give it a try." said Professor Elemanty. She looked at her notes and sighed as she read something. "Also, please note that tryouts for the first year of Naedalance with be held on December 12th on Saturday morning." A cheer, louder than any David had ever head, tore through the school. David looked around at his friends, but saw that, they too, were as confused as he was.

"Now off to bed everyone. A new year of learning begins tomorrow." Professor Elemanty bid them good night, and all at once, the school got up and began heading to the Entrance Hall. A girl was at the end of the table, calling out for first years, so David motioned at her to his friends and went over to him.

"First years! First years, over here please!" she called out for a while. "Is this everyone?" she said finally. David, closest to her, looked about the hall and nodded to her.

"Okay. My name is Nelly, and I am to lead to the entrace of your new Dormitories since I am covering for your mentor, who is the hospital wind.." she cried over the crowd of students nearby. "If you'll follow me please." They followed obediantly through the entrance hall and into the castle itself. Here, the students branched off in several different directions. Some, apparently the second years, David realized, went into the corridor to thier left, while some took the stairs down, or other similar tunnels. Nelly led them up the stairs, two, three, and four floors up, and through several passageways and spiraling staircases, until David had no idea where they were anymore, even when he played it back in his.

"You'll get used to it." Nelly said to him, when she saw his face. "I have to take the long way around this time to take you to the back entrance."

"No one from other years will know where your dormitories are." she explained before David asked the question. "If its anything like ours, than you'll have rooms that can fit five people at a time."

"Are they co-ed?" Evangeline asked quietly.

"No. Boys sleep apart from the girls, and enchantments prevent any mischief." Nelly said to the group. David was slightly relieved, however, because as much as he liked Evangeline, he did not thing his heart would last a night with Evangeline in the same bed. They continued to ascend levels in the castle, David noted when they passed by a large window, which made him slide to the other side of the stairs. The stairs wound in a large spiral, with a small landing on every floor. He could hear many of the other first years behind him breathing heavily as they continued to ascend the tower until they reached a long hallway. The hallway was lined with tall thin windowns and flaming torches, that ended with a curious lion head, ten times larger than life and carved out of a completely black stone that shone brightly in the torchlight. David gazed at the hallway and realized that it was a bridge in between towers, many of hundreds of feet above ground, then had to fight the urge to throw up and run back down the stairs.

"Here you are, your new home, the Spire." Nelly replied. "As I said earlier, this is the back entrance into the Spire, and only you first years will know where the main entrance is located. On your beds, you will find tomorrow's schedule, and once you have chosen a bed, your will find that your belongings are in the drawers. Once you have chosen a room, it will be shielded. Professor Singbell explained that enchantments in all of the dormitories can read the intensions of its occupants, and will react accordingly. This way you are assured that your things are safe. Any other questions? Okay then, have a good year!" David stood still as stone, staring at the hallway before him.

"So, uh, who's first?" Snow asked, glancing around at his classmates. Evangeline moved to hold David, but tripped, accidentally pushing David in front of the pack and onto the bridge, to David's great dismay.

"Nice. David, you should do it." Snow called to David, who barely heard him.

"Why do there have to be windows?" David muttered to himself, taking a shaking step. As hard as he might try, David found it impossible to not look out through their glassy shielding at the island far below them, basking in the orange glow of dusk. It was very pretty, and David suddenly felt alot better. Before he knew it, he was standing before the onyx lion head feeling stupid. What was he supposed to do?

"First year, eh?" a voice, deep and melodic said to him in a reassuring tone. David turned to see who had spoke and saw only the black lion and the white stone of the wall. Before his very eyes, the statue's eyes turned to look at him and it grumbled audilbly.

"Tell me, boy, what is your name?" the lion spoke.

"David. Crowley." he muttered, feeling odd speaking to a statue, let alone a lion.

"Crowley, hmm? I knew a Crowley once. A long time ago when I was but a cub." said the lion. "But that was eons ago."

"So you're the back door to the Spire?" David wondered aloud.

"No." said the lion. "I am the only physical entrance into the Spire, the only 'door' to speak of. The other entrance is simply a matter of convienience for the students, who simply do not wish to make the trip to my hallwayon a daily basis."

"Must get lonely." David quipped, to which the lion laughed.

"Not as much as you may think." the lion replied. "Alright then, Mr. Crowley, let us get on with it."

"On with what?" David wondered.

"In order for the magic of the Spire to recognize you, you must insert your wand into the wall next to my head. From then on, you are a member of the Spire and you will be placed in a room. So, please." the lion motioned with its eyes to its side. David drew his wand, and slid it into the unremarkable hole in the wall. The lions eyes lit up like flashlights and David was pulled into the wall, which passed over him like a liquid.

On the other side, David stood at the center of a large circular room. There were several dozen overly large couchs and chairs, desks and tables with worklamps, and a large roaring fireplace. There were huge ordinate windows, each had a wireframe that depicted a different type of weather and season of the scenery that could be scene beyond its expanse. The colors of the room were rather dark blacks, blues, reds, greens, and grays, and standing in the center was a large black lion, staring at David with sharp ice blue eyes.

"Welcome to the Spire, young David." the lion said to David, making him realize it was the same lion he spoke to outside. "I am Arthogate, Guardian of the Spire. As you may have noticed, the Spire is located at the top of the highest tower in the castle. No route other than the one you took today leads to this place, yet I have many portals the lead to various places in the castle."

"Lucky for you, Mr. Crowley, who prefers his solitude, each student in the Spire gets his or her own room. The location and the nature of the inside of the Spire are not to be mentioned to any other student outside your year. Some students know it is in a tower, but not how to reach my hall. Your wand will open the door to your room, which I have taken the librity to decorate according to your tastes. I hope it is to your liking. Its decoration and location are all based on your personality traits and tastes. Your room is number 1. And do not worry, your fear of heights will not affect you under the enchantments of this tower. Now rest, young David. For tomorrow, there is much to learn."

With a large paw, Arthogate motioned to a spiral staircase. Only when Arthogate pointed it out did David notice six sets of similar stairs along the outside of the perimiter of the circular room. And the ceiling was non existant, stretching up over twenty floors to a ceiling enchanted to look like the sky outside. David followed Arthogates instructions and began climbing the stair case that had a crescent moon symbol above it.

He climbed the stairs two at a time, and noticed that these stairs did not stop every floor. When he reached the first landing, he stepped out onto the balcony and looked at what looked like a front porch. On the door before him was a room number. 115. David had a bad feeling. He ran up to the next platform and looked at the door number, 109. Dread filling his body, he check the next three platforms just to be sure.103, 97, and 91 respectivly. He quickly did the math in his head and took a shaky breath. His room was on the top floor. Trying to keep his calm, David quietly ascended the stairs all the way to the top and stood on a landing similar to the ones far below, but still different. The landing itself was a dark blue instead of its pristine pure white stone. A few potted plants, a few he recognized to be bonzai and japanese maples, sat comfortably on the ledge overlooking the center common area twenty stories below. A few ferns hung from hooks and thier green leaves reached out in all directions. Strangely, dispite the height, as promised, David was completely comfortable, dispite the part of his brain that was constantly registering the height.

The door was different as well, made of wood with a darker stain and a shiny silver doorknob. Where the keyhole normally would be was a small glyph, which glowed when David tapped it with his wand, and it opened automatically. Below, he could hear other students beginning their arrival and Arthogate giving them his speech, similar to the one he gave David. The inside was so comfortable that David immediately forgot how high he was. The entry was made of white tile, and David took off his shoes and stepped up onto the thick black carpet of his room. It was all so large that David recognized it to be the product of magic, most like a spell that allowed alot more space in a small area. He walked down the hallway into a large living room. The carpet was black, like the hallway. He noticed that all the walls were a similar dark blue as his porch, but the roof was a whited out, almost milky version of the sky above. In the living room was a large and extremely soft looking couch and a glass coffee table. On the far wall was the largest television that David had ever seen. On either side were large windows with thick black velvet curtains that would block out all light. On the walls were paintings that David found great pleasure in when he looked at them, and noticed that they were moving, almost like little windows into a different place and time. The picture were framed in white frames, making the picture pop out from the wall. Box lanterns covered in white paper floated throughout the room, the candles inside them never going out or burning the paper lanterns. They floated just high enough so that David had to stretch to reach them upon inspection. David noted the desk on the left wall had several pens and stacks of papers, complete with filing slots, devices he might possibly need, and small waste basket.

Just when he thought it was starting to get too quiet for him, a wave of light music filled the room, and every room David entered. He noticed this as he entered a tiled area off to the right of the living room and entryway. It was a kitchen, he realized, complete with plates and utensils, and a fridge full of snacks that he might desire. He took a Pepsi and popped it open. He drank it as he passed the entryway while crossing the living room. Sharing a corner with the living room and running parallel to the entryway was a library with all of David's books, plus others of similar nature and even an entire bookcase of suggestions that David found interesting. This room was made in a similar fashion to the living room but was curved on on side with windows that looked out over the central common room, which was now filling with chattering students. It was from this room that another hallway branched. David entered it and noted that it shared a wall with the living room and there was a single door. David pushed it open and gazed around his new bedroom. In the corner to his right was a big King bed with white sheets, a thick black quilt, and a dark blue comforter on top with big soft matching pillows. The bed was actually set into the wall instead of sitting on the floor. To his left was another door, through which he could see a large bathroom. Against the wall to his left was a large dresser, that when he opened it, revealed all of his clothes. His belongings, including Ashe, were postioned around the room in places he deemed 'perfect'. Arthogate was good at his job, David thought. Ashe's cage hung in the far right corner, which was a bay window with comfortable looking seats. On the far left was a hammoch that set next to a window that overlooked the central common room right next to several instruments, which included a guitar and violin.

Curious, David entered his bathroom. On the right wall was the gray marble counter with a large white bowl like sink that had no visible faucet. A mirror with mulitple folding sections sat above the sink, and behind was a medicine cabinet with his toothbrush and other such items, including a razor, which he had never seen before. The toilet was nothing spectacular, plain like any other, but the shower blew him away. It looked more like a large bath, complete with many places for him to sit and lots of jets for warm water and massage. It was completely enclosed with glass that was frosted on one side and see through on the other. A button on the wall started the water, and several knobs did different things, like dispense fragrant bubble bath that smells like the Irish Spring an old teacher used. The water came from the ceiling, which was one bid showerhead. Dials on the wall were able to change where the water fell from. Shampoo and condtioner were in crafted bottled on the lip of the bath. David simply could not get over how perfect everything was.

After bathing, the shower actually dried him instantly, and he slid on a pair of pajamas that were handing on a hook on the back of the door. They were black and covered in flames, with legs so long they covered his feet, which pleased him greatly. Remembering something said to him earlier, he walked over to his bed and picked up a piece of paper. It was thick and the schedule upon it was etched into it.

**Monday, Wednesday, Friday**

_ 8:00 am Transfiguration Prof. Gabriel  
9:00 am Charms Prof. Ibiza  
10:00 am Break I  
10:15 am Potions Prof. Finx  
11:15 am Defense Against the Dark Arts Prof. Clemens  
12:15 pm Lunch  
1:00 pm Herbology Prof. Lock  
2:00 pm History of Magic Prof. Farish  
3:00 pm Physical Training Prof. Signum  
5:00 pm Break II  
5:15 pm General Education Prof. Cyprian  
6:15 pm End of Lessons  
_

**Tuesday and Thursday**

_8:00 am Runes Prof. Merlin  
9:00 am Basic Enchantments Prof. Singbell  
10:00 am Break I  
10:15 am Physical Training Prof. Signum  
12:15 pm Lunch  
1:00 pm Spellcraft Prof. Dyce  
2:00 pm Weapons Training Prof. Larkin  
5:00 pm Break II  
5:15 pm Specialized Training Prof. Zhukov  
6:15 pm End of Lessons_

David read the entire schedule and sighed. It seemed like it was not going to be as easy as he had thought. Even in school, he never spent more than 8 hours at the school, and now he was going to be doing 10 hours, plus alot of it seemed like it would be just like P.E., which was not hard, but David had been hoping for something a bit less 'normal'. He turned and stucked the schedule onto a cork board next to the doorway, then paused. David could not remember seeing the board in the room when he looked around before.

"Maybe it really is designed from my mind." David thought aloud, gazing at the board for a few minutes. David made his way through his home and stepped out of the house onto the porch and looking down at the common room twenty floors below. Evangeline, who seemed to be searching for him, looked up suddenly and spotted him, screaming in glee and waving. David smiled and returned the wave as she pointed him out to Vlad, Snow, and Yuri, who she appeared to have recruited in her search.

"Everything is different now." David said to himself. And indeed, it was.


	9. Chapter 9

David found that he woke up easier than he would have thought after all the days of summer he had been through. He had bathed and dressed in silence, and met up with Evangeline in the common room. Arthogate had told the truth, and as soon as they exited the entry way, they were in another part of the castle. Behind them stood a giant picture of a black lion that was another form of Arthogate. Breakfast passed quickly and David found that the real problem was finding his classes.

According to a picture of a silver knight, there four hundred and thirty two staircases in Trinity Academy, and quite a few of those led to absolutely nowhere, which was odd, because David simply asked for directions. Even more dizzying was the fact that the people in the pictures seemed to refuse to stay put, often times leaving to visit other pictures. Some doors made themselves look like pictures depending on the weather. There were sections of wall that would pretend to be doors, hallways hidden behind tapestries or paintings, even places that led to different sections of the castle depending on how it felt that morning. In fact, David could have swore that everything in the castle could move, including the suits of armor and plants that were laid out in halls and passageways. The first few days were wreaking havock on David's mind.

Then there were the classes themselves. They were easy enough to David, who spent a lot of his free time learning all he could before he actually came to school. It was a thrill to actually be able to do the spells, instead of waving about his wand and saying their names. Transfiguration was a breeze once Professor Gabriel, a thin witch with extremely long and wavy black hair and blue eyes, explained it to them in detail. She jumped towards her desk, transforming into a bald eagle mid-air before setting in her chair and changing back. Somehow, he became her favorite after their first lesson. She laid out matchsticks before them all and told them how they were going to turn them into needles. When David transformed his match on his first try, Professor Gabriel let out a yelp and began showing it to the entire class, which bothered him greatly and he had not been able to get her to stop.

Charms had proved more interesting than David thought. They learned small things like producing bubbles from the tips of their wands and many colored ribbons from a short fat little man who limped everywhere he went. The hard part was for David to keep his unruly wand under control. One time he thought it would be alright when they were learning the Hovering Charm, Wingardium Leviosa. But instead of just the feather, he, his classmates, Professor Ibiza, and all the furniture slammed so hard into the ceiling everyone let out a collective 'oof' and had to wait for the Professor to get them down. Since then, David had to keep a constant vigilance over his wand at all times.

To David's dismay, Potions was far too easy and Professor Finx hated him for it, thinking him arrogant and foolish. On their first day, David did not bring his book to class. The Professor was a pale and pasty man who looked like the kind of man who never had friends, probably from his slime green eyes, thin eel-like lips that trembled constantly, and overly long fingers. When he asked why David did not have a book, David simply told him that he did not need it, and had memorized it before he got there. Mocking him, Professor Finx retrieved his textbook and asked David several questions, to which David was able to answer each question with the exact answer from the book without trying. Now, the Professor seemed to like to try and make David's life hell whenever he got the chance, asking questions whenever he thought he was not paying attention, or asking him to do things from the book far beyond what he had taught them so far. David simply obeyed, earning himself more and more ire from his teacher.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was not much better, which seemed to be Professor Clemens excuse to use his students as test dummies, picking students from the group and performing the day's spell against them before teaching them the proper way to counter it. What made it worse was if David realized what spell Professor Clemens was going to use and automatically using the counter spell before he got hit, which the Professor complained about, saying, "How are they supposed to know what it does if you do not show them, Mr. Crowley? How are they supposed to properly fear and respect the spell if they do not see it for themselves? A mentor of mine taught me something that you had all better cut into the folds of your memory. Vigilance, Crowley! Constant Vigilance!" The entire thing made David sick to his stomach, having to watch his classmates writhe in pain from spells more than often cast by the Professor himself. Every now and then, David would secretly cast a Shielding Charm on Evangeline when he saw a really nasty curse coming her way, then the entire class would laugh as it bounced back and hit the professor.

David had chanced to relax in Herbology and History of Magic, taught by the red- headed twin sisters Professor Lock and Professor Farish. Professor Lock, who taught Herbology, taught them about plants and how to use them. Not just magical plants either. Somedays, they would go out into the woods and she would show them several herbs that grew naturally and how to use them properly. Somehow, in the process, David learned all about poisonous plants as well, and his leg learned about poison ivy. Professor Farish let David do pretty much whatever he wanted in class, after she found him one day reading his History of Magic during lunch. He read it as often as possible because it was the only book he could not seem to finish without falling asleep, and apparently had accidentally read through his lessons for the next four years, and could repeat what he read verbatum, much to Professor Farish's delight. David normally spend the class reading his History of Magic textbook and falling asleep halfway through class. No one ever bothered him.

For good reason too, as their next class was Physical Training, the class David looked forward to everyday. Every class was different in some way, training the same muscles in different ways. Snow was always at the top of the class, followed closely often times by either Yuri or David, who had started a small rivalry in class. They knew they could not catch up to Snow, who had been receiving such training since he was just a small boy, so they challenged each other. If David ran a mile, Yuri would try to run two. If Yuri did a hundred push-ups, David would try to do two hundred. It was like this almost every day. They learned hundred of different physical activities. Professor Signum, a graying middle aged man who had a horrible memory but looked like a solider in his camoflage cargo pants, would take them off the island when they were close the location for the lesson. They rockclimbed in Arizona, swam laps in ice cold lakes, ran for miles in wilderness of various terrain. For two hours every day, David sweat and bled from effort, and constantly pushed himself to his limits, often times waking up in the Medical Wing when he passed them. But not once did he complain, because as hard as it was, Snow, Yuri, Vlad, and Evangeline were there with him. More than often enough, they would talk and keep each other company through each class.

Then, after their break, they would collapse into General Education, which was exactly what it meant. They spent an hour learning Math, Science, and English just like regular Muggles would , from Professor Cyprian, who had graduated from a Muggle college before applying for Trinity Academy. Weary from Physical Training, David had to force himself through the Math problems and Science experiments, knowing full well that dinner, and the end of his day, was nearby.

Tuesday and Thursdays were difficult, far more than anything David expected in school. It often felt like hell and a military boot camp mixed together and he only had Snow to keep him company. Professor Merlin taught them about Runes, more than a language in the New World, after the discovery of a few core Runes that allowed ancient spells to be used through their use. Merlin often said that they were learning to read and use spells that his ancestor, Merlin of Camelot, had learned and used back in his day. The Runes themselves were easy enough, but the alchemy between them, how they related to one another and their uses were so numerous that David found himself asking Merlin questions every ten minutes, rather upset that none of what the Professor was talking about had been mentioned in his text books. Snow would always roll his eyes and sigh, sometimes making remarks that made the entire class burst into fits of laughter.

Basic Enchantments was next, allowing David to suffer the prescense of Professor Singbell, who seemed to think that the very ground that David walked held magical qualities. They learned things like how to imbue fire into metal, or use gems to change the nature of a weapon. David was amazed when he opened a box to see it full of diamonds, then have Professor Singbell tell him to crush them into a fine powder for the days lesson, which had been ice attribute spells.

After another brutal run of Physical Training and Lunch, David found himself in Spellcraft with Professor Dyce. Spellcraft was a class from the Asur branch, and so David was glad to enter class with Evangeline and Yuri. Spellcraft was taught by someone who literally screamed wizard to anyone who saw him. He wore a great long beard with a purple cloak and robes with a matching pointed hat. The entire class was essentially learning spells of a combative nature, such as Ignis Rae, and learning to do spells in two new ways: Non-verbal and without a wand. Both of which the entire class almost always failed, but the old Professor Dyce never seemed to notice, and just kept talking, giving them advice that never seemed to help. Once David asked Professor Dyce about casting spells by drawing a spell circle, but the Professor simply laughed and replied, "Nonsense, boy!"

Then, David would always bid his friends good-bye and meet up with Snow once again for Weapons Training, which so far had simply been Weapons Education, with Professor Larkin, a battle scared man with long orange hair and flowing black robes. He taught them the advantages and disadvantages of each weapon, showing them visual how they were used, promising that one day soon they would get their chance to be Knights. They trained in martial arts and did exercises that strengthened their muscles for the weapons they would learn. Then, after a break, David and Snow entered their Specialized Training classes. Snow's classroom was inside the classroom while David and a few other Knights stood and waited for their next instructor, Professor Zhukov to arrive. Professor Zhuvov insisted on being called Vadim by his students. Professor Zhukov was the youngest teacher David had every seen, just barely 15 or so years older than they were, but his pale, almost white eyes and shortly cropped blond hair went well with his square jaw, thick russian accent, and thick beard.

"I am here to teach you one thing." He explained on their first day. "Survival. I went to school in the Old World, and I can tell you one thing for certain. Over there, magic is often times the only thing they will teach. Most believe in spell-to-spell combat. They duck behind cover and hurl spells at each other, most time the better wizard will win. _Expelliarmus!_" A flash of red light and a nearby students wand soared into the air and Vadim caught it easily. "But tell me. How can they curse you if they cannot hit you? How do they react if someone countered all their spells while coming at them wielding forty-eight inches of enchanted steel? For most jinxes, there is a counter jinx. Same for most curses as well. But there are few counters for this." Professor Zhukov flicked his wand and conjured an Aegis from mid-air, which stuck blade first into the sand. "If you can match their magic, then this gives you and advantage. Here at Trinity Academy, we believe in something that most of the Wizarding World deems unnecessary, that physical ability is just as important as the magical, that both need to be equally trained and taught new things. Even if your wand is taken, you still have many means in which to defend yourselves." He handed the student back his wand and dismissed the Aegis before beginning his lesson.

It was easily David's favorite class, better even than Physical Training. They spent an hour everyday out in the wilderness surrounding the castle, reading tracks, learning how to navigate using the stars and nearby landmarks. They learned basic survival, how to build a fire, find shelter, where and how to get food and water. Every Saturday evening, Professor Zhukov would pack a dinner, and they would spend the entire evening out of the castle. Sometimes they would play war games. All of Professor Zhukovs students from every year participated, and the entire island was their battlefield. Vadim taught them stealth. He taught them how to use a knife. Before David knew it, it was October, and he lay on his back outside watching the sun setting over the edge of the island. He knew from experience that there was over an hour left of daylight and Professor Vadim called for their attention with a hand signal.

One of the hardest things they had to learn was the intricate sign language Professor Vadim was teaching to them. They were not able to manage full sentences like the higher years, but so far they were able to recognize simple things like commands. Even with a textbook he found in the library, David was having a hard time learning the language. Reading was one thing, but keeping up with the speed and fluidity of Professor Zhukov and trying to respond was proving difficult.

"Okay class. Today, we are begining this year's first ranked match. There are three every year and all of my students participate. Basics: It lasts all weekend. You provide for yourself. Only way to earn a rank is to beat a fellow student in combat. No weapons. I will be watching from the air, and will mark someone when they are beaten. You have until Midnight on Sunday. Your rank will depend on how many wins you get and how long you managed to stay 'alive'. Remember: This is a best of three competition. If you need to retire, simply send red sparks into the air with your wands. Understood? Okay, match begins in one hour."

David was the first to acknowledge the warning and sprinted off into the wilderness without a single doubt. As he ran, his little knowledge of free running allowed him to leap up and vault over a branch and begin leaping from tree to tree as fast as he could without giving away his position, constantly looking for ways to move higher in the trees which sheltered from prying eyes. The first day would be the worst. With so many people participating, the possibility of ambush was higher than could be risked. Many people would be eliminated on the first day, and a few others who were not prepared would grow tired by the second day. So he would hide and wait and watch. He was not in this for glory or self worth. So he waited.

Patience. Of all the characteristics David posessed, there was no more important value. He sat and waited quietly. Unmoving. Unseen. Even ignoring the incessant pull of hunger as he sat and watched from his perch. Knowledge overwrote ambition, and David watched classmate battle each other far below in the name of their own pride. How many times could he have slid silently from his perch and dismissed a potential enemy while they slept, or ate, or relieved themselves in the shrubs. David bound himself to strict rules of behavior as the moon slowly blazed a steadfast trail through the star-filled night. Empty hours filled with a hollow nothingness. Minutes blended into hours which bled the day until the whole night and the following day was one long and barren moment. He watched and learned. Observed and noted everything that passed the sanctuary of his tree, animal and human alike. He was entranced by the simplicity of it all. Even several seventh years passed him by unaware of the eyes at their back, moving through the forest like meer children. Every leaf and twig under heavy feet were fireworks in David's ears. Even as the cool night returned and the moon rose from the horizon he waited. Soon, he thought. Very soon.

"Something intresting, Vadim?" Professor Signum asked, shifting uncomfortable upon his thestral which caused his Invisibility Cloak to flutter slightly.

"This boy, Crowley." Professor Zhukov replied. Vadim sat atop a modified broomstick, comfortably sitting in a leaned back seat with foot holds at the tip of the broom. His wand was pressed to his temple and a strange blue light was coming from his eyes as he watched David, who had not even twitched in the past 28 hours. Curious, Professor Signum drew his wand and pressed it to his temple.

"That first year?" he asked. Vadim simply grunted in reply.

"Crowley. Crowley." Signum said to himself. "I think I have heard that name before. Ah see, I've forgotten something." He had drawn a Remembrall from his pocket and was staring with consern at its redness.

"He is a student of yours, Bill." Professor Zhukov reminded him offhandedly. Such an occurance was common with Professor Signum, who nearly forgot everything at some point or another.

"Oh right." Professor Signum replied, a small frown creasing his face. "He is very talented. What is wrong with him?"

"He has not moved from that spot in over a day. He hasn't moved at all, matter of fact." he explained.

"Product of your training perhaps?" Signum supplied with a shrug.

"He's a first year Bill. He has only been here just a few months." Vadim reminded him.

"Oh. Right." Professor Signum said again, the little frown returning to his face.

"Besides. I have never seen something like this before. It's definately not something I taught him to do."

"He's like a bird in that tree, being so comfortable like that." Professor Signum noted. Vadim acknowledged the thought with a grunt and continued to watch the curious boy. A fight broke out in the forest below. The forest flashed all sorts of colors as the two students threw every spell they knew at each other in hopes of winning. To the Professors magically enhanced senses, they heard every curse and cry as they battled back and forth. For more than ten minutes they fought quite impressively, Professor Zhukov realized, for being third years, but soon one had a clear advantage when he took the high ground.

"_Expelliarmus_!" the first boy cried. The second boy leap aside and rushed his weary opponent, coming up under his defenses and firmly jammed an open palm into the solar plexis, pushing all the air from his opponents lungs. The second boy flicked his wand and cried, "_Incendio!_", and the first boy managed to draw enough breath to utter the words to erect a sheild against the flames. But the second boy was relentless and began firing spells one after the other.

"_Incendio! Langlock! Impedimeta! Pertificus Totalus!" _he cried in order. The first boy did not have the energy or the breath to protect himself and was hit by the last spell, arms and legs locking together, causing him to fall face first into the dirt. Immediately, Professor Signum cast a ball of light before the fallen students face and release the curse.

"Igor Petrenev." he said, looking at his roster. "He is pretty good. That is his tenth win."

"How many are left?" Vadim wondered.

"Eight." Signum replied, counting them as he replied to be sure. David had chosen a wise course, Professor Zhukov realized. He waited and saved his energy while his opponents tired. Movement pulled him from his contemplation, movement from David. It was slight, but more than anything he had done for hours. David slowly moved every limb and tested everything before making any moves. He climbed to a crouch and began nimbly stepping from branch to branch until he was above the exhasted Igor, who was hunched over catching his breath.

"What is he-?" Professor Signum sputtered, but was quickly shushed by the intensely interested Professor Zhukov. David slid up a pant leg and revealed a blade strapped to his leg. The metal was black and did not glint in the early moonlight, but Zhukov could clearly see the finely sharpened silver edge. Before Vadim could say or do anything, David leapt from the tree and fell more than twenty feet to the ground, but landed in a quiet crouch perfectly fine, causing both Professors jaws to drop and their voices catch in their throats. In a brief flash, David had the back of his blade against Igor's throat and whispered in his ear.

"Give up." David warned. The same second Igor moved to retaliate, David's wand was at the ceneter of his victim's spine and uttered a single word, so quiet Vadim had barely heard it.

"_Stupefy_." Igor twitched and fell backwards, but David was gone before he even hit the ground. The two professors followed silently as David quickly made his way through the forest with ease, even in the darkness of night. He leapt and jumped easily and silently. He used rocks and other resources to hide his tracks. Professor Zhukov was at a complete loss for words. He had only just barely taught the first lesson about tracks a few weeks ago, yet David, a first year, was already applying everything he had learned. Suddenly, David slammed backfirst into a thick tree and waited silently. If he had not seen David run there, Professor Zhukov would not have seen him as he hid in the shadow of the tree, away from the light of the moon. Seconds later, two sixth year boys ,who were apparently working together, appeared from the cover of the trees side by side and walked right past David without even realizing he was there. Vadim could not believe what he was seeing.

Slowly, David slid forward and only his face was lit up by the moon and Professor Zhukov, for the first time, truly and honestly looked into those brilliant yellow eyes, then realized a truth. David was not considering them class mates or friends, but prey. Enemies. David turned and ran in the direction the two students went, but at a wider path, so he could watch them from afar. They watched from their positions as David followed them easily without alerting them to his presense.

"Is he using a spell of some sort?" Professor Signum asked.

"No." Professor Zhukov replied. "If he was, we would have seen it." David stopped when they stopped and began setting up a makeshift camp and Vadim could see in those yellow eyes the pieces falling into place. He watched them like a hunter would watch its kill. The boys immediately began setting up their defenses, like the Caterwauling Charm and Cave Inimicum just as they should, and vanished from view. David put away his knife and looked his wand for a moment or two before pointing it at where the boys had disappeared.

"_Finite Incantatem_." David whispered. Once again, Professor Zhukov's jaw hung open as the protection spells the boys erected disappeared and they were once again revealed, preparing their meal.

"How did he do that?" Professor Signum wondered, his voice touched with alarm. "That is an extremely advanced spell and it should not have had enough power to do that. How can a first year do such a thing?" Professor Zhukov simply shook his head, at a loss himself.

"_Accio Rock._" David said, causing a nearby stone to fly into his palm. "_Duro. Engorgio._" David worked quickly, using spells far beyond his year, hardening the rock and swelling it to five times its original size. He hefted the rock in his left hand and stretched it out to the two unaware students, then banished it, sending it flying at them at breakneck speeds.

"_EXPULSO!" _David yelled. The stone instantly exploded, showering the two suprised students with heavy rock that knocked them unconcious and and flung them a few feet. David ran up and checked their vitals before running off into the woods.

"We have to disqualify him." Professor Zhukov said grimly. "He brought a weapon and is thus disqualified."

"Isn't it a bit late for that?" Signum wondered.

"It's to protect the ones that are left." he replied as a scream from below caused him to flinch.

It had done it to him again. It had taken control, but this time it had been far more subtle. David stared heatedly at his wand on the table before him. His anger at the moment far outweighed his love for his wand. He refused to touch it all weekend and just stayed in his room, glaring at it everytime he passed it on the living room table. Worst yet, he had been disqualified from the competition for forgetting about his knife and thus had not been allowed a rank.

Evangeline was the only one he had been able to talk to about what was happening. He explained everything that had been happening to him up until last night in detail and she listened patiently. He told her everything, more than he had ever told anyone else, but it felt good to talk about it, so he kept going.

"Maybe you should turn in your wand to the Headmistress, David." Evangeline suggested when he had finished.

"Believe me, I considered it for a moment." David admitted. "But at the same time, I love my wand."

"It has been influencing you." she reminded him, making him wince. "When is your detention?" she wondered, changing the subject.

"Next Sunday at six. I have to go to the dungeons." David replied. She smiled and set her head down on his shoulder and softly stroked his arm.

"How is Yuri?" he asked. He felt horrible that they had not been spending much time together in the last few weeks, and that he had been spending more time with Snow, who had placed 15th this morning.

"Good, I suppose." she sighed. "He is the "class prodigy" and all."

"Well you can't be doing all that bad." David said, trying to cheer her up.

"Not really." she pouted. "Sometimes my spells backfire and I either blow it up or set it on fire. We were learning the disarming charm the other day and everyone was too afraid I would cook them to pair up with me."

"Didn't Yuri?" David wondered. Evangeline just shook her head. "Why not?"

"He doesn't hang out with me at all. I don't think he wants to be friends anymore." Evangeline frowned. "He's been saying nasty things ever since he became friends with that Galadriel guy."

"Who?"

"A late transfer." She replied. "Some pretty boy with long black hair and the creepiest purple eyes." David thought about it and vaguely remembered someone fitting that description sitting at the table during meals recently.

"I have an idea." David said, standing up suddenly. "You're having trouble in class? How about I mentor you?"

"What?" She laughed, looking at him like he was joking.

"No, I'm serious." He insisted. "Anything you need help with, I will be your partner, alright? And if anyone makes fun of you I can teach you a few of the tricks I used the other night." He finished with a joking wink, making Evangeline laugh and raising the mood of the room. She looked at the table and picked up a thick book that had a book mark in it. David came out of the kitchen with a soda for her and stopped when he saw what book she was holding.

"What is this?" she wondered innocently as she flipped through the pages.

"It's a book about spell circles I grabbed for light reading." David replied, setting down the soda in front of her and taking a seat.

"You call this light? This thing is gigantic! Did you borrow this from the library?" Evangeline said as she hefted the book to check its weight again.

"No. I have my own library here in my room." David said, motioning toward the room he spoke of behind her. Curious, she got up and entered the library and began looking around at the books that lined the walls. There were books on magic that had nothing to do with their current classes. Runeology, Ritual Magic, Druidic Magic, Shamanism, Clerical powers, phases of the moons and alignments of the planets, conjuring spells of all natures, a beginner's guide ro making an original spell, and hundred of others. There were books on swordplay, warfar, tactics, phylosophy, psychology, foreign languages, fantasy creatures, old legends, maps of the New World, ancient scrolls, books in foreign languages, art books, fantasy novels, dictionaries, and how-to books on every thing from Modern Muggle Electronics to 1001 uses for Spellotape. Dozens of the books had colored tabs and book marks where David had marked something, or had stopped reading. On the desk where dozens of papers with dozens of notes and scribbles and the wastebasket was nearly overflowing will balls of paper.

"What kind of boy are you?" she asked incrediously. "You can have any room you want in the entire world and you have this beautiful house with your own built-in library?"

"What do you mean?" David wondered, not really seeing the problem.

"I mean, Vlad's room is covered in posters of rock bands, guitars, computer games, and all sorts of sports stars, plus all the equipment to match. He constantly blasts rock and roll so loud it makes your teeth rattle and he eats nothing but pizza. Yuri has a full pool and spa, plus everything you coukd get at a five star resort. He never has to do anything because as soon as something come into your mind, it floats to you. Snow has a place full of bean bags and video games, anime, and nudey mags. But you? This! Its...peaceful. Its serene and clean, quiet and solitary. Everything here in interesting. Your plants are beautiful. The layout is interesting and the colors make it seem alot bigger than it really is. And your ceiling! Your ceiling is amazing! Its all so...perfect."

"What more could I need?" David asked. "Why have what I really don't need. Let them keep their pools. their trinkets and petty wants. This place, these rooms? They are not permanent. In a few years, they will be gone and what will we be left with? These books? What they carry is something I can take with me. Knowledge."

Evangeline stared at him intensely for a while before softly saying, "What is it that makes you so different from everyone else?" It was not really a question, David realized as he stared into her eyes. It was something she was asking herself, so David stroked her hair and lead her back to the living room. She laid down with her head on his lap and looked up at the ceiling, which was showing the beginnings of autumn twilight.

"So pretty." she murmured quietly, falling asleep as David gazed at the page she had left the book on. There, on the page, was something he had seen before. It was the writing that had appeared when he saw the spell circle. It had written itself, weaved itself into the spell without his knowledge. It was also the language that had appeared down in the ruins on the bronze plate. It was a small dictionary, complete with an alphabet that showed how to write in this odd language. He flipped through the pages and was completely amazed at the level of detail it contained. With it, he would be able to translate anything in this language into English. He sat up until late at night, his mind devouring every line of every page he could find until the sun crept through his window.Not long after, David began to learn to read and write in this foreign new language, this language of ancient magic. David began to learn the language of Elves.


	10. Chapter 10

"The Aegis is not the standard weapon we teach here." Professor Larkin called, his powerful voice heard easily by the entire class with little effort. It was late November, and the class was finally ready to begin learning how to use weapons. They sat inside, since the island was now being covered in several layers of all too white snow. They were in the Grand Hall, which was completely empty for thier outside classes, but were fortunate, as the higher years were still outside in the snow.

There was only one table, and Professor Larkin stood behind it. Several cases were on top of it and everyone in class was extremely eager to figure out what was inside.

"Some in the Old World do not approve of what we teach here to our students." Professor Larkin continued. "Thousands of people have petitioned the Ministy of Magic to change our curriculum because they deem it 'unnecessary'. It is true, however, that we do not need to train you how to use weapons. But since the founding of this school, the very essence of our society has been to train you in both the magical and physical. Magic is an extremely useful and efficient tool in our world. But over time, witches and wizards have become over dependant on magic. Like spoiled children, they would not know how to survive without it holding their hand everywhere they went. I have seen witches and wizards chose to Apparate even the shortest of distances, such as from their bedroom to their kitchen, or three blocks to the bar for a quick drink. The New World tries to remove that crutch in society. By training you to defend yourselves without magic, we are decreaseing your possible dependancy. Weapons are a part of that. This is one of the biggest differences in our New World."

"As I said before, the Aegis is not a standard weapon. Few wizards will bother to carry it outside of these halls. Once they have learned to use it, most never pick it up again. Same goes for many of the other weapons I will teach you. But the point is this: Even if you never pick that weapon up ever again, you will know how to if you need it. See?" Professor Larkin looked around at each of them to make sure they were listening before sighing, saying, "You may now come and get your Aegis." There was a rush of movement as everyone ran forward to try and pick out their weapons, apparently in the belief that some were better than others. Snow and David patiently stood back until there were only two left and grabbed them without hassle, which granted them looks of approval from Professor Larkin. Together, they moved to the back of the group and seated themselves a few feet away from their classmates so that they could continue the conversation they started when they entered the classroom.

"So that language we read was Elvish?" Snow asked in disbelief, for what seemed like the hundreth time.

"Definately." David replied firmly. Both of them opened their cases and saw that the Aegis took some assembling.

"So Oasis was originally home to the Elves then." said Snow, as he pulled out the blade, which was inside a leather sheath, same as David's.

"That's the theory anyway." David agreed, as he took out all the parts and gazed at them. There were no instructions, and it seemed like part of the lesson was figuring out how to assemble it on your own.

"But how?" Snow wondered as he slid the crossguard on the metal tang at the end of the sword. "I mean, from everything I read, the Elves did not favor magic. They would speak with the trees and ask them to grow in certain ways, and stuff like that. Don't get me wrong or anything. They're amazing. Only thing better than anything made by the goblins is something made by the Elves. It's fucking hard to find though, and can sell for several hundred thousand Galleons, or so I've heard." David slid the wand chamber on over the tang and then fastened the metal sleeve for the handle over it while he thought. Nearby, a boy, Alex Parkins, grew impatient and kept jamming the wand chamber into the handle sleeve, apparently unaware that the reason it would not fit was that it was backwards. After a few hard jabs, it sparked and exploded, tossing Alex through the air and blowing apart his Aegis.

"History is made by the victor." David said while he screwed on the pommel carefully. "History is rarely written by those who lost. I think the Elves may have been more able than what the wizard's who wrote about them thought. A civilization can expand in time. But alway, during that expansion, they will either meet other civilizations or something else. It has happened hundred of times throughout the history of man, when a population that deems themselves civilized comes across a foreign population of people, they often times are deemed savages."

"These people, who are able to survive on the land in peace, are almost always victims. Plague spreads from these new invaders. The invaders try to force their religous views on them, killings hundreds in the name of what they view as divine justice in the name of their god. Overtime either a war starts, or the native population is absorbed. Either way, they are basically destroyed. I think the same thing happened to the Elves, and wizards were the invaders. Greed, Envy, Jealousy. We wanted their weapons. We wanted what they had. We wanted it all. So, we took it, little by little. In time, the Elves were forced to this place, this Oasis, their final bastion against the world of men. It was only a matter of time before we found them here too." David looked at his finished Aegis and noticed that all the seams sealed themselves together. He held it up triumphantly and looked at Snow, who had stopped and stared at his shoes.

"What's up?" David asked.

"Do you really think that's what happened?" Snow asked, looking in David's eyes.

"It's a theory, but yes. I have not seen evidence to the contrary." David replied gravely.

"That is seriously messed up." Snow shook his head, continuing his work at last.

"Have you not noticed it before? Our entire history is paved with the cobblestones of such events, both in the Wizarding World as well as Muggle history. And each new generation is born thinking that this is how things have always been without even realizing that they are wading knee deep in the blood and broken bodies of the fallen."

"Are we no different?" Snow asked, as he finished his Aegis as well.

"No." David replied somberly. Professor Larkin noticed that they were complete and called for the classes attention.

"See, ladies and gentlemen? This is an Aegis." he said triumphantly, holding Snow's as an example. "Each and every one of you will learn to fight with this. Even if you don't use one, if you every face one, you will be aware of what they can do. But this will be just a piece of enchanted metal to most of you. Sure, you can cast spells with it, but few people are actually compatible with this weapon. Take this for example." He twisted open the pommel and placed his wand in the chamber then slid it into the handle, where it would be in contact with the tang of the blade.

"_Excrime!_" Professor Larkin cried, and when he swung the sword, a fireball flew from the blade and lit the table on fire. He drew his wand from the Aegis and extinguished the flames before handing Snow back the weapon.

"That is what most of you will expect out of your Aegis." David raised his hand and Professor Larkin nodded in acknowledgement.

"Excuse me, Professor, but you keep mentioning compatibility." David said. Professor Larkin's expression brightened and a smile crinkled the corners of his mouth.

"Right you are. Thank you, Crowley. I had forgotten to explain that further." Professor Larkin agreed. "You see, there have been times when witches and wizards have accomplished Resonance with the Aegis. In their hands, the latent magic within the Aegis changes its form to suit the user."

"Changes how?" a girl asked.

"I do not know." Professor Larkin admitted. "I have not seen it happen, nor have I heard of anyone who has or can tell you what it looked like. Anyway, enough with the history lesson. Mr. Crowley, Mr. Hiruma, if you would please." David flipped the weapon so quickly it looked as if the Aegis had been that way all along. He pressed the pommel with his palm and twisted it, feeling it pull free, and pulled out the wand chamber. Inside, David clearly saw more Elvish in a spiral pattern along the inside of the handle. He drew his wand and slid it into the wand chamber and twisted it closed, feeling it click as the wand and the metal tang of the blade made contact. David was sure that the entire area around him vibrated once, like a enormous heartbeat, but quickly dismissed it as his imagination. He twirled the sword deftly so that it was upright once more and held it firmly. The handle was long enough for two hands side by side, but overall the blade felt like it did not really have any weight behind it. Slowly, David went into a well practiced swordplay that Professor Larkin had taught them weeks earlier, but quickly augmented it, choosing to hold the Aegis one handed while his left arm remained at his side. Something was missing.

"That is not what you were taught, Mr. Crowley." Professor Larkin reminded him.

"It's wrong." David replied, looking around the room, certain he would see what he was looking for somewhere nearby.

"Excuse me?" Professor Larkin asked, blinking as if had misheard him.

"The weight of the blade and the length of the handle make it far easier for me to use one handed, Professor." David replied. "Using it with two hands like you suggested leaves me with far too many openings. A-hah!" David ran across the Hall, with the entire class staring at him as if he was mad. Snow was the only one able to catch up with him in time to see what David was interested in. It was a shield.

David lifted it from the empty armor and hefted it as few times to check its weight. It was a round shield, wide enough to cover David's side completely, but not enough to limit his mobility at all.

"Are you crazy?" Snow asked him as he saw the big grin on David's face.

"Not everyone can fight the same way." David replied. "Using the Aegis with two hands leaves me too open to attack."

"Professor, may I ask for a favor?" David said when Professor Larkin approached him.

"Would it have anything to do with our class." Professor Larkin asked doubtfully, glancing down at the shield disapprovingly.

"Can you be my sparing partner for a minute?" David asked.

"Mr. Crowley, I do not think that this is the appropriate time." Professor Larkin replied. "We are in the middle of a lesson. For what possible benefit would a sparing match in the middle of class present?"

"The rest of the class is still putting the Aegis together. Only Snow and I are finished, and I do not wish to disturb the class." Professor Larkin stared David in the eye and looked down at David's hands, which bore his Aegis and a shield.

"You wish to test yourself against me?" Professor Larkin wondered, as if he could hardly believe the insanity that had possess his student.

"No, Professor. Just your prefered technique." David replied, rocking Professor Larkin on his heels. Snow grabbed David's sleeve and pulled him roughly aside.

"Are you out of your _fraggin'_ mind?" Snow hissed quietly. "Professor Larkin is the Weapons Master of the entirety of the New World. My parents told me stories about him when I was a kid, and you dare question his judgement."

"People are as different as their fingerprints. Why can't their fighting style be the same way?" David wondered.

"Because two months ago, you had never even held a sword, and this man has been fighting longer than we have been alive." Snow growled, smacking his head. "Makes no damned sense."

"Let me ask you a question, Snow." David said calmly. "Your father has been training you since you were a kid, right?"

"Yeah, of course." he nodded, confused.

"And any of those teachers ever teach you weapons?" David continued.

"A few of them, yes."

"Have you tested your Aegis yet?" David wondered, pointing at the sword in his hand.

"Er...no?" he replied. David indicated for him to test it and immediately Snow had immediately deviated from what Professor Larkin taught them, but to David's amusement. It was an amazing whirling display. Snow was never faceing one way for more than a few seconds as he struck in sweeping strikes that would have slashed through anything in its path. He leapt and spun with agility and grace that defied gravity, seeming to stay in the air longer than he normally would have. And it was not only the used of his sword, but David saw sweeping kicks mixed in there, always just ahead or behind his sword strikes. Snow was a tornado of enchanted steel and death, and David had no doubt that anyone would be hardpressed to get through those deadly cuts. When Snow finished, he shrugged and looked at David, confused as to what was the problem.

"Was any of that what Professor Larkin taught us?" David asked.

"No." Snow replied sheepishly.

"Was all of that from one instructor?" David asked, pushing Snow more.

"Well, no." Snow said slowly as it dawned on him.

"See? You created your own entirely unique swordsmanship. Your instincts in martial arts automatically overwrote what he taught us and chose the best of everything that you learned. Professor Larkin's technique works best for him, but not for you or me. Any of our classmates go into a fight using this technique, odds are they will be cut down. I'm sure we are fortunate that he teaches the same technique to _all _his students for the past decade, since if they fight they'll fight each other with the same technique." Snow was now nodding now that he saw the truth of David's logic.

"Man, where did you learn all of this stuff anyway?" Snow asked increduously.

"Books." David admitted. "Lots and lots of books."

Professor Larkin had enchanted thier weapons so that they would not be able to actually harm each other, but the force would remain the same. The Professor had changed his mind, thinking that it was for the best that the class, who had finally finished assembling thier swords, see that his technique was indeed the best. It was a matter of pride. David's approval of his instructor dropped significantly after he was told. The Professor, a man many years his senior in both age and experience, had turned David's request into a ego boost, which sickened him greatly.

"Petty." David said to himself as he rechecked his shoe laces. Snow was the only one who stood near him, and patted David on the back in response. They were outside in the snow, standing in the large flat meadow where they normally held thier classes. Many students from other years were confused at the group of first years in the snow, but once they heard about the sparing match between a student and a Professor, they crowded up hillside to watch. Their instructors were even present, yelling out words of encouragement to both sides. Snow patted his back and pointed behind them. David looked back and saw that all the windows that faced the meadow were filled with the excited heads of students.

"Seriously, doesn't anyone have anything better to do? Like learn something?" David groaned as he turned back to Professor Larkin, who stood a good forty yards away, warming up.

"You sure you want to do this?" Snow asked, watching the Professor warm up. "My dad told me that sword felled many trolls in its day."

"All stories are exaggerated." David replied. "But they always have some basis of truth." he added as he watched the Professor execute a powerful swing that made the blade whistle.

"I imagine this is your doing, David." said a voice behind him. David turned and smiled as he saw Professor Merlin step onto the side of the meadow close to David.

"Professor Merlin." David smiled, then shook his head when he realized what was said. "I am trying to prove that Professor Larkin's technique does not work for all students."

"Yes, David." Professor Merlin agreed with a thoughtful frown. "But did he not also say that the Aegis is not a widely used weapon and that most of the students will never pick it up ever again? He isn't teaching them to master the weapon, David. Just how to use it if the need arose in the future."

"Oh. Right." David grimaced at the hidden chastation.

"Now I see why you're his mentor." Snow said to Professor Merlin, who laughed and nodded.

"Nevertheless, David, I am in your corner." Professor Merlin said with a sigh.

"Thank you, Professor." David smiled at his mentor.

"Sword and shield, huh?" Professor Merlin observed.

"Wow, eyes of an eagle this one." Snow muttered.

"Professor Larkin is not only use his Aegis against you, but use his magic as well. I am sorry to say, David, but the cards are heavily stacked against you. All I can say is to try to maintain some sort of dignity and pride during this sparring match, but there is little else you can do." Professor Merlin stated.

"I already realized I was no match, Professor. But if I can get even a single blow, then I think my claim will have enough merit." David replied. Professor Merlin blinked at David several times before slowly asking, " Is that what this is about?"

"David. Professor Larkin teaches you what he knows, but does not care less if you chose to supplement your own style in its place as long as you can meet the class requirements." Professor Merlin informed, dealing David a mental blow. Snow would not stop laughing for several minutes. Professor Larkin stepped into the meadow to signify that he was ready and calmly waited for David.

"It is not too late, David." Professor Merlin said, gripping David's shoulder.

"No. It is too late for that now." David replied.

"Alright." Professor Merlin conceded, then added, "Reflecto." before leaving David alone.

"Good luck." Snow said, giving David a soft high five. David turned and cracked his neck, then drew his Aegis from the ground he stuck it into.

There was no bell. There was no referee. As soon as Professor Larkin began to charge, the crowd roared in approval. It was so loud that David did not hear what Professor Larkin said as he swung his Aegis. David leapt aside as a shockwave of air tore apart the ground behind him. David sprinted to his right, in a wide arc towards Professor Larkin as spell after spell whizzed past behind him. David dove into a sidelong rolled as the ground below his feet exploded, but rolled onto his feet and charged at Professor Larkin as another spell whizzed past David's right.

As soon as he was in range, Professor Larkin thrust his sword ahead, the palm of his right hand pushing the Aegis forward. David spun and leapt sidelong over the blade, his shield deflecting Larkin's thrust downward as David's Aegis came around for a downward stab for the Professor's center of mass. David was staring straight at a wand. Reflexively, David reversed the direction of his sheild and jabbed it into the Professor's wrist as a bolt of white hot lightning barely missed David's right eye as he spun to the right. David got a foot under him and pivoted, increasing his momentum, his Aegis sweeping low for a backhanded slash. Metal rang against metal as David's attack was met by Larkin's own backhanded parry. David pulled his arm in quick and tucked behind his shield and yelled, "_REFLECTO_!" Flames rolled all around David's shield, which had a spell to repel magic of its curved surface thanks to Professor Merlin's advice. David punched out his shield, which had met an unseen attack from Larkin's Aegis, catching him off guard and knocking the blade wide as David swept it aside to thrust his Aegis into Larkin's core.

"_Protego_!" Professor Larkin called, catching the sword strike just in time. David smiled wickedly as an insane idea popped in his mind.

"_IGNIS RAE_!" he yelled. This time, he let his restraint over the wand go, but was surpised when the sensation did not appear. His Aegis grew red and a blast of heat followed by a line of white light thrust them apart violents. David bounced hard once before tucking into an oddly disciplined roll and sliding back up to his feet. Amazingly, David had managed to not cut or burn himself. Steam was rising from his still hot blade and there was a path of melted snow between David and Professor Larkin, with a massive scorched crater in the middle. Professor Larkin rose to his feet and shook the snow off his robes before raising his wand at David. Two fireballs, similar to the ones he cast in the Great Hall, but far greater in size rocketed from his wand while David began his frontal assault with his arms crossed. With a backhand parry, David deflected the first fireball, then the second with his shield, only to see a third, previously unseen fireball coming at him. David jumped then pulled back both of his arms with all his might and slammed them both into the top of the fireball, driving it into the ground. Smoke, fire, and debri erupted all around David as he rolled over the remains of the magically enhanced fire and backhanded as a thrust cut through the black smoke, followed by an enraged Professor Larkin. David ducked low and spun, sweeping a leg, cutting Professor Larkin's out from under him.

Professor Larkin, a warrior seasoned in the harsh spices of war and mayham, accepted the leg sweep and rolled head over heels back onto his feet, then brought his Aegis down with a powerful overhead strike. David cried out and rolled to the side and disappeared into the smoke. Once outside, he rolled into a crouch that turned into a run as spells rained at him from behind. David dove, turned midair, and thrust out his Aegis.

"_EXCRIME_!" David yelled as Professor Larkin emerged from the smoke and flames. David instantly understood that the fireball would be as big as he wanted, but the larger fireballs took more time, so he cut the spell off short as another wild idea came to him. He hit the ground, rolled sideways, and slid into a crouch with his sword aimed at the fireball.

"_Confringo_! _Deprimo_!" David said. The fireball exploded into a shower of flames, then was hit by a jet of air that fanned them, washing Professor Larkin in a wave of broiling fire that melt the snow for several feet in all directions. David knew that it was not enough, and ran in behind the spell. He jumped, spun around, and roundhouse kicked. It was blind luck that Professor Larkin had crouched behind the flat of his blade and a Protection Charm instead of using his blade, because David's heel met the side of Professor Larkin's head instead the edge of his blade. David followed with a shield bash that met the recovering Professor's face as he turned to meet the attack, but the seasoned veteran kept his wits and used the blow to spin around and parry the downward chop from David's Aegis. Professor Larkin let his left hand slip from the handle as he blocked and drove a heavy fist into David's ribs, blasting the wind from the boy's lungs. The punch had enough force to throw David sidelong across the meadow. He had yet to recover when he slammed full force into the frozen earth and slid across the icy surface. But he recovered soon enough and got to his feet, trying to catch his breath.

"I'll admit, Mr. Crowley. You are far better than I gave you credit for. You have a real natural talent for this sort of thing. I am so sorry it has to end this way." Professor Larkin said somberly as he attempted to stall the flow of blood from his nose. David was all out of ideas. He had let his guard slip for only a moment, and now his ribs throbbed so hard it was nearly impossible to catch his breath. David twisted the pommel on the end of his sword and slid open the wand chamber to withdraw his wand when the glowing looping language of the Elves caught his eye. He had forgotten to read it the first time, and this time it was hard to miss. His fight temporarily forgotten, David read it aloud, but not in English, but in Elvish.

_"In the arcane brilliance of the light, I shine. _

_In the abyssal embrace of the night, I am invincible. _

_In the eternal serenity of peace, I grow._

_In the ferocious blazing fires of war, I fight._

_I am defender of my people._

_I am the bane of the unclean._

_I am death._

_Say my name, and I am yours."_

A sensation rose within David read those words with a foreign tongue, similar to the sensation he got from the power of his wand, but it was calm. Serene. Almost like its polar opposite. His mouth spoke the words, but he only heard the name in his head.

Leyna'athas, the Ashes of Autumn Night.

David saw the runes on his wand glow and the wand chamber slid shut of its own free will. The oval shape of the pommel seemed to melt and flatten, looking more like an extension of the handle, which shifted beneath his hand and felt more like horizontally ribbed leather stripes. The crossguard widened and shifted shape, into that of a wide and short pentagon with the top point marking the middle of the blade. Snow falling from the sky funneled like a tornado onto a single point in the middle of the crossguard. It grew and grew until there was a large, perfectly round, deep blue sapphire in the middle. The blade itself grew hot and steamed as if it had just been pulled from the flames of its creation. It grew wider, to about a foot wide, but stayed at about three and a half feet long. A groove creased the blade in the from the tip of the crossguard to about a foot down the blade. His Aegis, which had been a short sword before, was now more like a broadsword, or a holy sword you saw in fantasy novels. Remarkable, somehow, the blade had retained it weight and balance. As he stared at its mirror sheen blade, the looping language of the Elves burned itself into the blade on either side of the groove in the middle. On both sides it said one thing: Leyna'athas, the Ashes of Autumn Night. David flipped the sword over and saw that the same thing was written on the other side, as well as another identical sapphire.

David was aware that his jaw as open, but he was not the only one. Everyone that was watching was now completely silent, as if they were no longer sure of what was real or not. Somehow, David had just resonated with his Aegis. Coming out of his shock, Professor Larkin, nose still bleeding, charged David in a fury. David raised his Aegis and cried, "_Excrime_!" Professor Larkin leapt aside expecting a fireball, as did David, as did everybody, but nothing came. Not even the slightest hint of flame. Baffled, David retreated a few steps and tried a different spell.

"_Expulso_!" he said as he swung his sword. This time was the same. Nothing happened at all, his Aegis showing no signs of reaction, but Professor Larkin did not dodge at all, and was quickly charging at David, firing fireballs as he went. David felt each of this collide with his shield while he mentally counted the approximate time he expected Professor Larkin to be in range. David swung his shield wide, wincing at the pain in his right side, and there was nothing. Professor Larkin had used that face that David was not able to see him to flank on David's left side. Larkin stabbed and David barely managed to get his shield in the way to get it to glance aside. Professor Larkin swung it overhead and brought it down mightily in a downward chop. David brought his sword up to parry and braced himself for the impact. Before his very eyes, Professor Larkin's Aegis touched his, then was cut in half by David's Layna'athas. The top half of Professor Larkin's Aegis crumbled into ashes mid air while Professor Larkin fell off balance, having expected contact with David's sword. David leapt back as Professor Larkin withdrew his wand and aimed it at David, hatred filling his eyes.

"_Expulso_!" Professor Larkin growled. David's shield exploded in fiery shrapnel and David's forearm was sliced and impaled by many of the metal shards. David retreated a few paces and held his sword before him in a defensive posture. David flexed his left hand to make sure the damage was not serious and noticed that his fingers left a faint trial of white light. Quickly, David wrote his name and noticed that instead of fading, the words hovered for a second or two before fading away. David smiled and wrote, 'Ignis Rae', but like his name nothing happened.

"_Excrime_!" Professor Larkin yelled, madness filling his eyes. The fireball continued to grow and grow into one bigger than anything the Professor had conjured before.

"Larkin!" Professor Merlin yelled in warning, but the fireball continued to grow.

"David! Get out of there!" Professor Merlin yelled, obviously concerned. "He's lost it! He plans to kill you! Run!" Professor Merlin was trying to get onto the meadow, but an invisible barrier had been erected, preventing anyone from coming to his aid. Finally, the fireball was released, filling David's vision with nothing but roaring flames. It traveled much faster than the ones Professor Larkin had cast before, and David had no chance to erect some sort of protection for himself, so feebly, he tried to protect himself with his sword. The fireball slammed into the side of the sword and the sapphire on the side glowed like miniture blue sun. The blade vibrated from the force of the fireball, but David saw that it was shrinking rapidly. Suddenly, the fireball was gone, and steam was rising from David's Aegis. Professor Larkin stared at David dumbfoundly, as much as everyone else who had witnessed the spectacle. Inside the sapphire, a large, white, and extremely complex rune glowed brightly and David immediately realized what to do. As he swung the sword at Professor Larkin with his right hand, his left hand drew the runological form of the Fireball Spell from memory. A fireball, the same fireball that Larkin cast at David, flew from Leyna'athas and engulfed Larkin in a flaming ball, filled with tormented screams.

There was a knock at his door, deep resounding thumps against the aging wood that led into his chamber. He already knew who it was by peering into his visitor's mind, and the knocking was merely respectful, if not required by the Master.

"Enter." the Master answered softly. Myr entered the room, his black robes hiding his appearance, much like the master he served, who sat upon a stone throne while he waited for the sun to set. "Speak." the master bade.

"Master. I did as you instructed. Larkin was easy enough to control with the Confundus Charm." Myr said as he took a knee before his master's throne.

"Yet...the boy still lives." the hooded one said.

"Yes, Master. It seems he is far more resourceful than I anticipated, but it will not be a problem." Myr replied, with a low head. The master chuckled softly which quickly turned into a phlegmy cough.

"What of the other task I gave you?" he rasped hoarsely.

"Well, my master. I believe I have found one more who may be willing to turn." Myr bowed.

"I have no use for more fodder, Myr." his master growled. "For decades I have been building my armies. Placing men in every branch of government. I have eyes and ears everywhere in the entire world. How many hundred serve me still without even knowing they were ever in my grasp? Even that fool Voldemort did not disturb my plans."

"My lord, He Who Must Not Be Named became the greatest dark wizard in history." Myr replied.

"And yet he was killed...by a child." the master laughed, quieter this time. "And do not forget, Myr. I am no wizard."

"Forgive me." Myr nodded.

"I have no use for simple conjuring and spells. They have not the simplest idea of the true depths of magic. They are merely children, wallowing in a puddle, compared to vast ocean of magics at my command. Why would I need to learn antidotes and potions to halt death, when my very blood is of the most vile poison and death is a cliffnote in the dictionary of my time."

"I meant no offense, Master." Myr apologized again.

"Do not fear me, Myr. Fear is the first step on the path that is ruin and decay."

"It is not fear, Master." Myr replied. The Master sensed the emotions that lurked deep within the recesses of his servant's mind, but he cared nothing of how he was thought of as much as he cared for faithfulness. Myr constantly proved himself faithful, and the hooded one constantly found ways for Myr to be of use.

"Tell me. How did the boy survive." the hooded one asked.

"He was able to Resonate with his Aegis." Myr replied. The master chuckled and nodded in approval.

"Good. That means he is at last able to read their language. It should only be a matter of time now. Myr, I want you to guide him. Guide him...to me." A small snake curled its way up the stone throne and the master touched it with one finger. There was a brief flash of green light and the snake fell dead. The hooded one picked it up and ate it raw with his black rotting teeth.

"Yes...master." Myr replied.


	11. Chapter 11

The weather outside was getting better even though it was still winter. The island had finally begun its descent to the south and warmer weather. David awoke early December and walked over to his window to enjoy his view. It was something peculiar, enjoying the scenery outside his window while the fear in the back of his mind constantly reminded him of the height. Yet it was because of the enchantment of the room that he was able to enjoy it.

It was a clear day outside. The mists of the falls was falling down to the desert below as rain, and no mist rose to shroud David's view. They were in the middle of a vast desert. He could see mountains and forests in the distance, but nothing but hard rock remains of what was left of an ancient lakebed. The sun was rising in the East, painting the sky with its colors while most of the land still lay in a shroud of sleep.

His shower was brief and uneventful to say the least.

Wrapped in an overlarge green towel, David stood before the sink and brushed his teeth while staring at the yellow eyes in the mirror. Something in them had changed recently. Brief flashes of Professor Larkin's charred remains flashed in his mind again. No one blamed David for what happened, as Professor Larkin had tried to kill him and David had merely protected himself, but David felt weird every time he entered his Weapons Training class. People stared at him in the halls as he walked by and whispered to each other as soon as they thought he was out of range. It was because of what David had under the sleeve of his right hand. On his wrist was a tattoo, similar to a bracelet. It was the entire scrollwork on the inside of the wand chamber. Through it, David could instantly turn his Aegis into Leyna'athas, the Ashes of Autumn Night, which had fast earned the nickname, Ashbringer, amongst the student body. The tattoo did not both David though. It was a heavy black ink of the loopy and elegant looking language of the Elves, and it slowly rotated around his arm. It took about a day for a full rotation so David was able to grasp a general sense of what time it was by looking at the tattoo.

Their substitute for Weapons Training was a shift old man who looked like a ghoul with his moth eaten clothes and battered top hat. He insisted that David use Leyna'athas as often as possible in their sparing. David had been at an advantage at first. Afraid of what might happen, David refused to use magic with his Aegis. Leyna'athas was a magnificent sword. With it, he was able to defend against most spells with its magically enhanced blade. It sliced through shields and magical conjurings with ease, making it so that David was able to put away his fears about spells like the Shielding Charm. However, David learned that hard way that his sword did not protect against spells like Petrificus Totalus, or, to his great embarassment, the Levitation Charm. As well as it magical defense properties, David was able to render objects into ashes, hence its nickname. It did not work against objects like apples or trees, but wood and metal burst into ashes when David willed it to.

Within a month, David had used Leyna'athas to absorb spells of different varieties and remember the spellwork for intense study later. He borrowed Professor Merlin's spellbook on spell circles on one condition. Every night, Professor Merlin would appear in David's room through a mirror that David had recieved from Arthogate, at Professor Merlin's request. Then, David and Merlin would sit and discuss what David had discovered until the late hours of the night, often building theories and ideas about Leyna'athas and the general idea of spell circles. Together, they learned so much more than they had imagined, plus Professor Merlin invented a spell that revealed the spell circle of latent magical enchantments. They tested it on a few charms, and when Professor Merlin revealed the spell circle, it appeared around the object in a three dimensional, multileveled, interlaced and incredible complex spell circle that looked the same no matter the angle that you looked at it from. Everytime they discovered something new, David scribbled it down on a notebook for later reference. They discovered and named the various sections of the spell with the use of Merlin of Camelot's texts amd scrolls.

David exited the washroom and looked about his room and how much it had changed. Several bookcases had been added, and were now full of old dusty scrolls about spell circles and several corkboards were stuck to the empty wall, littered with diagrams and drawing of several dozen complex spells that they were still working on unraveling. On his desk was a new book, its leather binding still new, and every line of every page had been done by David himself whenever he had a spare moment. It was a compilation of the fifty different spells they had worked on and broken down into its basic parts. It read like the inner thoughts of a mad man at work, but every work made complete sense to someone who understood the subject. The last chapter of the book even discribed the theory of changing the target of the spell through its spell circle, a theory both David and Merlin believed in, even if they had yet to figure out how to bring about such a change. In the corner by an open window was Ashe's empty cage and David assumed that she was still out hunting mice in the forest at the moment, as was her favorite pastime. He walked over and filled her food and water with little thought about the matter.

He looked down at his tattoo again and thought nothing more of it as his mind was interupted by a knock at his front door, which was magically enhanced to be heard from anywhere in the room. David brisked walked to the door and opened it wide to see who was outside. David opened the door to see a group of girls squished together on his porch, all of them with a patch on thier right shoulder in the shape of a black crow that said "Crowley" in bright red letters. They all screamed in pleasure at the sight of him and blushed in various hues of pink as David realized that he had answered the door in nothing but his towel. David misunderstood and immediately tried to stammer an apology through the barrage of giggles and flashes of cameras.

Saving the day, Evangeline pushed through the crowd and rushed David inside while closing the door behind her.

"The hell was that? How did they even get up here?" David exclaimed as he adjusted his towel tighter. David could not help but notice that she was as pink the other girls were, but was distracted when she slammed a newspaper on the counter and sat down.

"Page A8." she said. David picked it up and looked at the front of it briefly before peeling it open. The New World Gazette was just about the only newspaper that the New World had. David never really got into reading the paper every morning, as the moving pictures always seemed to distract him from what he trying to read. David finally opened it to the page he wanted and his jaw nearly hit his chest.

_**David Crowley? Prodegy of Trinity Academy?  
**__**-C. Chang**_

_David Crowley is not a well known boy among the student body of Trinity Academy of Sorcery and Enchantment. He is shy and reclusive, spending time with a small clutch of close friends or spending hours in the library. Looking into those keen yellow eyes, most would assume that the color of his eyes is the only peculiar thing about this teenage boy. Yet, every month the Gazette recieves calls from the faculty of Trinity Academy, nearly bursting with stories and enthusiam of this new youth._

_ After taking the time to listen and document each story, the Gazette began to realize that most of the stories were similar, including miniscule details that most would deviate from. And so, I was dispated to Trinity Academy of Sorcery and Enchantment for a closer investigation into this unusual student. Were the stories actually true? Could he preform spells well past his year? Was he really an exceptional student in all his classes? He he really killed his raving, mad teacher in a duel gone bad? With a Aegis that he managed to Resonate with? _

_ On my first day, I found that all these stories were actually true. David Crowley is an exceedingly bright student who managed to memorize all the books required for his classes. Upon my arrival, David Crowley was leaning back in his chair in the back of class, fast asleep. When his instructor, Professor Edward Gabriel asked David a question, David recited the answer, word for word, exactly how it was written in the book._

_ "The boy has an amazing memory," Professor Merlin replied when interviewed. "His brain is able to recall almost anything it has seen with extraordinary detail, yet he is still smart enough to discuss the physics behind an extremely complex spell circle with me, his Professor and a man nearly twenty years his senior! It's utterly facinating! And yet, he amazes me still with his notes on the subject, an entire textbook on its own on what we have discovered so far." When questioned about David's notebook, Professor Merlin refused to comment, but did mention that he did believe it to be as ground-breaking as Albus Dumbledore's discovery of the 12 uses of dragon's blood, and eagerly awaits the time when David wishes to share it. _

_ I caught up with David Crowley once again during his Physical Training class. The teen is never far from the front of the class, often chasing and competeing with two of his close friends, who are as skilled as he is. Yukio Hiruma, David's closest friend and fellow member of the Elden Crest, is always in first place, closely followed by either David Crowley himself, or Yuri Rowenthal, another close friend of David's. Then, in a mock wizard duel, David performed spells required in fifth year O.W.L's with ease._

_ "I've never really seen anything quite like it," replied Prof. Dyce, David's Spellcraft instructor. "His mind and body are like a sponge. He absorbs what you teach him quickly and often times uses it ways that I have never even considered in my 35 years as an instructor."_

_ As for David himself, somehow, he remains shy and reclusive in his day to day life. Books. He seems to love books, spending hours in the library just picking them apart. Having known someone similar, I was suprised to find that David even has a library in his own room, filled with a wide variety of books of his intrests. The New World better watch out, as David Crowley has already begun making waves. His picture (seen above) was taken outside of the castle grounds and sent to Modeling Agencies world wide, and his popularity among his age group has rapidly increased thanks to Wizards Monthly, supplier of given picture. They are now in the midst of trying to contact David Crowley in regards to a modeling contract that would provide him with financial assistance. David Crowley has yet to be reached for comment._

_ -C. Chang_

David looked up at the picture of himself above the column. He remembered that day. It was the first day of warmth since Autumn began, warm enough that David had removed his shirt and conjured up a hammock to lounge in. The picture included everything from his torso up and taken from a position that was almost completely above him. His left arm was dangling off the edge of the hammock, David could clearly see the blue sparkle of his gemmed ring upon his finger. David had put on more muscle that he had thought, he realized, looking down self conciously. His other arm was draped accross his abdomen and the tattoo upon his wrist was a stark contrast to his white skin and black pants. His hair flowed around his head, revealing his barely visible scars, and apparently he had opened his eyes momentarily, as he eyes were barely open, staring straight into the camera with their striking yellow. His picture blinked and smiled warmly up at him. The grass below him was covered in leaves of autumn yellows, oranges, and reds.

"You have got to be kidding me." David groaned at his own picture, which closed his eyes and went back to sleep. He closed the newspaper and shoved it away in irritation. "Don't they have to ask for my permission or something?"

"Apparently not." Evangeline replied. "Either way, it seems that you've become quite popular with the girls. Its all they talk about in the washroom while they giggle over your picture. No doubt those picture of you in a towel will spread quickly enough." David sighed a curse that made Evangeline smile.

"Alright cutie, I can see that you're not yet ready so I'll meet you down in the commons?"

"Deal." David smiled back. She squeezed his hand before striding to the door and yelling at the people crowded outside his door. David had always been socially awkward, and his sudden new-found popularity was like a rock in his chest as he stared at his door in horror. Maybe, when I go out, they will see how he really was and loose interest and leave, he thought hopefully, but he truthfully doubted it.

He made sure to put on pants and made himself a small breakfast of marshmellow cereal and a bagel with cream cheese, then he sat down at the counter to eat his delicious meal. Without prompting, the living room began playing soft Techno music, which lifted David's spirits as he swayed back and forth in his bar stool to the beat. It was a good meal, he thought.

As he washed his dishes, the music suddenly shut off and the water stopped flowing from the spout.

"David." a voice whispered quietly, sounding like a soft breeze more than anything. But David knew he heard it, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as the temperature plummeted so fast his breath was suddenly fogging before his face.

"David." it said again. A breeze blew through the kitchen past David and ruffled the newspaper on the counter, as if trying to draw his attention. David shook his head in denial and strolled out the door. He opened it and the crowd of girls were standing outside. They were not moving. They simply stood there staring at him like zombies, mouths hanging open with vacant expressions.

"Daaaaaaaaaviiiiid." they all said at the same time in soft voices. Together, they stepped forward and reached out for him. He jumped back and slammed the door in thier face. He could hear them slamming their hands against the door and calling his name in long cries. The world had gone mad.

"David" the voice whispered again, causing him to wheel around and press his back to the door. The hallway seemed longer and darker than normal. The walls seemed to bow outwards before his very eyes and the windows in the living room grew dark, making everything before him pitch black. David drew his wand and pointed it down the hall.

"_Lumos_!" he whispered, conjuring a beam of light from his wand. It reminded him of black outs in the the orphanage and going into the dark basement with only a flashlight. He would only see what was within that circle of light before him. He sweeped it accross the hallway before him and slowly advanced towards the kitchen. Something was clicking in the darkness. It was quick and non artificial, like a creature of the night keening, or using sonar to look for its pray. If possible, the air in his room got even colder.

He finally made it to the living room and suddenly felt incredibly vulnerable. There was darkness everywhere and his wand's light only illuminated 5% of it at a time. He searched the entire living room and could not identify the source of the clicking, which seemed to be moving as David looked. He finally entered the kitchen and noticed that the newspaper was open to a different page that he had left it on. He approached it and gazed at its contents.

There were two men on the page. On the left was a tall thin man with a great long brown beard that nearly reached his belt. His flowing purple robes fit him perfectly. He smiled kindly with his piercing blue eyes that stared out at him behind half-moon spectacles. He was standing shoulder to shoulder with a younger gentleman. His black hair was flowing and silky smooth, pulled back into a tight braid. His goatee was long, but well kept. His great green robes looked more like a tailored suit, which matched his eyes that were paired with dark circles, as if the man had not slept for a long time. David read the text below the picture: Dumbledore greets Gylel'drazi at steps to Hogwarts of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The title told David little about the context of the article.

**A Man to be Remembered: Dumbledore's Final Moments Revealed!**

The clicking sound returned, drawing David's attention away from the newspaper as he quickly looked around for the source. Something passed through David's light then. It was long and flying quickly. It screeched horrible when it touched the light and David caught a glimpse of slimy purple. David searched in the direction it went, but he saw nothing once more. It, whatever it was, had screamed when it passed through the light. It had been a mixture of a hiss of outrage from a reptilian beast, and a high pitched squealing screech unlike anything David had ever heard.

He heard the clicking again. Rapid clicking. It reminded David of the dolphins he had seen on the television years ago when he was a child, but he held no illusions that it was no dolphin. David slowly made his way into the living room and noticed something different about his table. He remembered that there had been something in the center of his coffee table the first time he had looked, but he could not remember what it was. In its place was a shiny liquid. He knelt down onto the carpet and touched it carefully. It was cold and extremely slimy, yet it stuck to his finger and stringed down like syrup when he pulled away. When he rubbed it between his fingers, it felt like dish soap, but it quickly thinned out and dryed into thin white flakes that crumbled off. The television suddenly screamed to life, full volume and screaming static that lengthened the shadows of the room, causing David to jump and turn to the screen. The clicking returned, and David watched at the static on the screen showed a direct relation to the sound. The clicking grew shriller and higher, the lines of static on the screen actually warped as if there was a circle in the middle. Then, as suddenly as it started, the clicking sounded like it turned into a scream and the television turned off, leaving David in darkness once again.

Click... Click... Click-clik-click... Clik-click-clik-click-click... Click...

David was beginning to panic, searching frantically for the source of the noise that seemed to grow closer each time.

"_Homenum Revelio_." he whispered, barely audible. Nothing in his room reacted to his sensor. He was alone. But David took it to mean that what ever was with him was not human and quickly set up a Caterwauling Charm around himself and cast a Stealth Sensoring Spell, then stood completely still. He looked around to see if he could spot the source, but the clicking just continued to grow louder around him.

The sky above had been filled with thunderclouds for several days and a flash of lightning forked across his ceiling alerted David. A large figure with eight long tendril legs and a bulbous center was revealed for that instance, its shadow covering David's living room. It hissed and David was a bit of clear fluid drip down on his table from above. He did not want to look up and was trying hard to get his breathing under control. Slowly, David looked above him at the creature clinging to his ceiling. It hissed venomously at him while the clicking grew harsher. How on Earth something so large had gotten into his room was beyond his imagination.

Its skin was a thin slimy purple membrane on the top, but the underside of each of its eight long tenticles was pink and covered with white suction cups. Its head was bulbous, like that off an octopus, but it had eight red glowing eyes that each stared down at David hungerly. It turned and dropped down, making David leap over his counter into the kitchen as it crushed his couch and table. The clicking sound was being made from its maw. David had seen it as it fell. It had a circular mouth on the pink underside of its belly, filled with hundred upon hundred of rows of long, thin needle-like teeth. The clicking sound was produced from a sharp scissor-like beak in the middle of its gaping maw, which clicked as the sides of each beak scrapped each other. David could not help but notice that the beck was big enough to cut a man clean in half. Or a cow.

It lashed out one of its many legs and wrapped it around David's left arm. The suction cups stuck to David's arm and thin barbs protruded out and pierced into his skin as he tried to pull himself free. Its monsterous strength pulled David along slowly, as it watched him struggle futilely.

"Daaaavvviiid!" the girls outside moaned in pleasure as he was dragged closer. David remembered how it reacted to the light and directed his wand at one of its eyes. The skin around it bubbled out like it was burned horrible and it screeched in pain, but he had only made it madder. It lifted him up by his arm, digging in the barbs so far that David cried out in pain, then it slammed him through the wall and into his bedroom. It pressed him against the far wall amongst all of his notes and David turned the wand to the tentacle hold him aloft. It roared it pain and despite its hunger, released David, who fell onto Ashe's cage on his side, then slammed into the ground. He rolled over and sprang to his feet as a thick tendril slammed into the ground and tearing a hole in the floor.

"_Ignis Rae_!" David yelled furiously, aiming at the monster's center of mass. The darkness was split by a line of blinding hot light and heat. Somehow, the creature flattened itself until it almost disappeared into the ground and hooked his leg. The Ignis Rae curved up as he fell and cut a clear line through his roof. Rainwater poured through like a waterfall and estinguished the flames from his Ignis Rae.

"Come on, you ugly mother fucker!" David yelled, leveling his wand at the creature. He fired spell after spell at it, bouts of flame seared its flesh, he caused limbs to exploded and fall to the ground. He used the banishing charm to slam it into the far wall with such force it nearly knocked him from his feet, then he blasted it with fireballs and jets of acid. In its thrashing, it had managed to reach out and wrap a tentacle around David's leg, squeezing so hard David would not have been suprised to learn he had lost his leg. Its barbs knifed painfully into David's calf and thigh, but it only caused him to push harder. The wand fired spells in rapid bursts, some of which was not of David's accord, trying to defend its owner. The tentacle lifted him once again, and slammed him against the bathroom wall, pushing him through the tile and insulation, then out the far window above the Commons. He had enough time to realized two things. His fear of heights had come back and apparently everyone below them could hear the commotion and many were rushing about to figure out the cause.

As he dangled there, he thought he could hear familiar voices calling to him before he reacted and squeezed the tentacle in his hand, then, with the tip of the wand against its suckers, he performed the Stinging Hex. Inside the building, David heard the creature roar in pain and it instantly dragged him back in. He rolled as it tried to drag him across the floor and placed his wand against its tentacle once more.

"_Relashio_!" He said, as fiery sparks exploded from his wands, releasing him from its grip. David leapt aside as it tried to crush him once again.

"_Diffindo_!" David said, cutting off the tentacle that had held him, then, for good measure he cried. "_Expulso_!" The tentacle exploded and covered his entire bedroom with tiny bits and blue blood, including David. He flipped sidelong as it lauched a tentacle at him like a spear, and he heard it easy blast through the wall behind him.

"_Immobulus_!" David said as it tried to extract its limb from the hole. It froze and David collapsed in a pile, struggling to catch his breath. He was not suprised to see that he was bleeding, but it was not much. His head was matted with his own blood as well, probably from one of the times he was thrown through a wall. He wiped it away as it tried to drip over his eye and winced at the pain of moving his left arm. The creature twitched.

"You have to be kidding me." David groaned as the creature slowly began to move once again, as if time was resuming. It slowly pulled back its tentacle, one of two left and David watched in horror as its limbs began to slowly regenerate. For each tentacle he had removed, two replaced it, so when the creature was once again moving at full speed, David was now faced against sixteen savage tentacles.

"That's just not fair." David groaned again, just before they began lashing out at him. David was constantly on the defensive, jumping and dodging the many limbed creature, launching a few ineffective spells whenever he could, but he was tiring fast. A loud slam against his front door distracted the monster long enough for David to dive behind a low wall that was left of his bathroom.

Another loud slam against his door was accompanied by a yell.

"David!" the voice called out, obviously concerned for his well being. David smiled in relief when he recognized the voice calling for him.

"Snow! I'm in here!" he dared reply. He realized it was a mistake as a tentacle snaked around his right angle and tugged him out violently, causing him to slam his head to the floor.

"CONFRINGO!" Snow yelled, blasting through the door and showering the monster with sharp shrapnel. "David! You okaee- WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?" David heard Snow leapt aside as it tried to spear him and landed in the library, where he saw David, laying semi-conscious on his back, being dragged closer to the creature. Snow leapt into a forward roll as the monsters tentacle stabbed through the library and out the window. He rolled back up to his feet and dropped into a slide next to David. He pointed his wand at the creature and used the Blasting Curse to hack away all of its limbs. Thinking it safe, Snow dragged David back behind the low wall and slapped his face. David's eyes rolled into focus and saw Snow.

"You okay?" Snow asked, helping David sit up.

"Where is that monster?" David asked, holding his head to try and quelch the pain.

"I blasted off all of its limbs." Snow replied. "What?" he asked when he saw the expression on David's face. He poked his head around the corner and to his great dismay, he noted that he was correct. The creature was in the process of regenerating its lost limbs once more, two for every limb that was lost, giving it thirty two new slimy tentacles. He ducked back behind the wall and tried to think.

"What is the plan?" Snow asked quietly, peeking over the edge.

"There isn't enough room here to fight it." David realized. "Not now. We have to lure it somewhere away from people where we can try to kill it. What about the Professors? Any of them coming?"

"Evangeline ran for help as soon as we realized that something was wrong. They should be here any minute." Snow repied.

"That's not soon enough." David said gravely before leaping out. "_IMMOBULUS_! There. That should buy us some time, come on!" David grasped Snow's arm and ran to the ledge of his bathroom that overlooked the Commons.

"What are you thinking, David?" Snow asked, a eager grin plastered on his face.

"How good are you at that Leviation Charm we learned in Charms last week?" David wondered, looking back to make sure the beast was not moving yet.

"Catastrophic." Snow smirked.

"Well, I hope you were paying attention." David said, as he leapt from his room. There was a flash far below as he plummet quickly. He looked back to see Snow leap as a tentacle tore through the wall behind him. David squeezed his eyes shut as he hoped Snow would pull it off. Moments passed before David opened his eyes and saw Snow flying at him. He lifted his wand and performed the Levitation Charm, causing Snow to slow down and float next to David, who was about five feet from the ground.

"Cut it close, did you?" David said in annoyance.

"I wonder who it was that asked me to do such a reckless thing in the first place." Snow pondered mockingly. David rolled mid-air and landed on his feet as the Levitation Charm wore off. Above them, a loud unholy screech cause David to duck reflexively as he looked up. Tentacles came from his room and wrapped themselves around the staircases and the creature pulled itself out, holding it weight aloft above them. One bulging red eye saw them below and it began to descend at a break-neck pace. People around them screamed in terror as it overshadowed them.

"RUN!" David begged them, jolting them to their senses. "We have to hold it off until they get away!" Snow nodded in acknowledgement and they both took aim, then in seconds, they unleashed everything they could. They blasted off its limbs, knowing they would regenerate, but did so hoping to slow the monster. They both froze it in place, only for it to wear off faster and faster until the spells had little visible effect. David quickly scanned the Commons and cried out to Snow, who understood, and they both ran. They did not run through the portal. That would lead the beast into the castle with their fellow class mates, so they ran for the main entrance, where Athrogate stood, growling angrily.

"Athrogate, we need you to take us and the creature somewhere away from people!" David yelled as they saw him.

"How? How did such a beast enter my halls?" Athrogate snarled as the beast slammed into the Commons and searched for them.

"I don't know." David admitted." But we need to get it out before anyone gets hurt." Athrogate nodded and nodded his head to his door. They thanked him and ran through, the sounds of battle behind him as Athrogate's thunderous roars and steel-like claws meet the many armed creature. They fell into a room they both recognized, for they saw it nearly everyday. Athrogate had lead them into the Armory.

"How long do we have?" Snow asked, as he looked about at the weapons.

"Minutes. Maybe." David replied, to which Snow nodded and began moving about the weapons racks. David lifted a red tunic over his head and laughed as it changed as soon as he finished buttoning it. The sleeves shorted to his mid bicep and it lengthened into what reminded David of a swallow-tailed suit. A chest pocket on the left side appeared and a deep red gothic cross appeared in the center of it. On his right bicep, a thicker piece of cloth, black as well, wound once around his arm and thiner red cloth wove in and out of the fabric until it looked like a blood-splatter camoflague. Thin red strips of cloth fanned out from his shoulder to his neck, then a long silver chain that ran from his shoulder looped down and connected to the other shoulder in a similar fashion. Underneath, David felt a tight fabric spread accross his torso and down his arms and over his hands. Black fishnet, magically reinforced, covered his vitals, but left his abdoment and his fingers bare. On his left side,red, vertically aligned runes scrolled around to the small of his back. David noticed that they were the words written on his Leyna'athas. Metal fiber sleeves formed around his arms, but stopped just below his elbow and connected themselves to the shirt with three thin silver chains.

David looked at himself in utter confusion and called to Snow. He came around a rack of weapons and his jaw dropped.

"Where did you find all of that?" he gasped, taking it all in by walking around David.

"I just put on this red tunic that was lying in here." David shrugged.

"Sometimes, you really are an idiot. This is an _armory_, David, nothing in here is normal. I think that is Mageweave armor." Snow guessed.

"What?"

"Mageweave. It is an incredible rare armor that enhances the abilities of the wearer. My dad told me that the armor looks different depending on who wears it." Snow explained. "Quickly, we don't have much time." They split ways and David found himself an Aegis, then strapped its sheath at his hip before finding a shield of agreeable weight and slung it on his back. Snow appeared holding two separate Aegis and wearing a set of steel pauldrons that were plated in a fashion that caused them to fold closed when he moved his arms up, so they did not limit his range of movement. He also wore a pair of matching gauntlets that looked to be sharpened.

"Shark Plate." Snow told him. "The back of the metal plates are sharpened so they can shread almost anything you touch." As an example, he dragged his forearm along one of the nearby wooden weapon racks and tore off several layers of wood in vicious bites that made David wince.

The entire room shook then, causing the weakened rack to collapse and dust to fall like rain from the ceiling.

"We are out of time." Snow said gravely.

"Agreed. We need to make our way outside." David replied, running to the door. He pushed on the handle and ran into the door, as he had expected it to open. Snow tried not to laugh as he helped him up.

"Are you alright?" Snow asked, trying hard not to smile. David scowled as he brushed himself off and examined the door closely.

"Why didn't it open?" David said to himself.

"Barred from the other side, most likely." Snow replied, drawing his wand. Without thinking, David held up his hand and flicked the rotating metal band of his ring with the pad of his thumb. David had never used the ring before, and it had been months since he had bought it. Months of absorbed momentum from walking and running and fights exploded forward and blew apart the door and most of the wall that surrounded it, leaving Snow standing there in amazement, his wand held up in the air.

Without another word they made their way through the now vacant castle wing, which would normally be full of classes in an hour. Somewhere, deep within the castle, David heard the roar of the tentacled beast and felt the castle shake beneath his feet.

"David, how do we know its following us?" Snow asked as they turned a corner.

"Because I think its me it wants." David called over his shoulder in reply. Another roar echoed down the hallway, much deeper in the castle than last time, but closer to them than it had been.

"David!" someone yelled to them from a hallway as they passed it.

"Sorry!" David yelled back, not stopping. "Can't stop to talk now." David heard the speaker run after him and glanced back as they turned to run down a set of stairs. Sprinting after them was Vladimir, his long blue robes billowing behind him as he tried to catch up.

"Vlad! We are in serious shit, man!" David heard Snow yelled as he ran down the stairs. "Seriously, you should run for help!"

"No way!" Vlad snapped. "I want to know what is going on!" Above them, David heard something break through a wall. David estimated that it was about where the armory was. IT was faster than he had thought, and was quickly gaining on them.

They reached the ground floor and ran over an arched covered bridge that led them to the island. As they reached the grass, David tucked his head down and ran as fast and hard as he could, hearing the beast behind them tearing through stone walls to get to them.

"What is that?" Vlad yelled, daring to look back at the dust billowing from the castle grounds.

"No idea." Snow replied, easily keeping up with David's fast pace. About a mile from the castle, David slowed and spun around to fast the castle, which lay in the distance across the grassy plain.

"Where is it?" David wondered, his eyes frantically searching for the monster in the dim light of the stormy sky. Snow was nearly shoulder to shoulder with him, searching just as frantically.

"What is it?" Vlad demanded. "At least describe it to me, so I know what I am looking for."

"Its a giant fucking octopus looking thing with all these damn suckery tentacles that regrow in twos after you cut them off! Good enough for ya!" Snow yelled at him. David winced as his leg throbbed and Vlad came over to look at his wounds.

"Did it cause this?" Vlad asked him, feeling the inside of the hole's carefully with a forefinger.

"What do you think!" David roared in pain, trying to swat away the hand causing him pain.

"How?" Vlad asked him, swinging his satchel to the ground and rummaging through it.

"These barbs that come out from its suckers." Snow replied. Vlad grunted and pulled out a glass bottle and pulled out the stopper carefully. He dripped a bit in each of the holes and David watched in amazement as they hissed and healed.

"Dittany." Vlad replied. "My friend taught me how to make it a few weeks ago. Gave me a bit of it."

The ground shook and a hill formed below them.

"You have got to be kidding." Snow said, looking at the ground in a mixture of horror and confusion. They all leapt aside as four giant tentacles burst from the ground and slammed down, hauling its weight out of the hole and onto the surface.

"I've seen this before!" Vlad yelled as he ran. "Its a creature that lives only in the deepest caves in the world, and live in water! It's called an Abolthydra! Keep him occupied, I have an idea!"

"Easy for you to say!" Snow grouched as he drew his wand. David leveled his wand at its center of mass and focused. His insides exploded with pressure and heat as the wand's will flowed into him. He wanted it, willed it to grow. It filled his veins and coursed through his blood like a avalanche. Every fiber of his being was filled with its red hot intensity. Two streams of red hot liquid felt like it leaked from the outer corners of his eyes. His vision changed slightly. It was like someone increased the intensity of everything, made it sharper and more defined, outlined and popping out from the background. Snow fired a stream of hot air and David watched as the air rippled around it in a speed slightly faster than slow motion. The hot air itself looked almost like boiling water jetting through the air.

"David!" Snow cried out, drawing his attention. David saw it immediately, but was not able to react as a thick tentacle slammed him around his middle. Its barbs tore through the center of his chest and his left shoulder as the force flung him backwards before it could correctly grip him. He looked down at his torso as he flew through the air and noted that his tunic was still intact, but something crashed into the back of his head. Darkness washed over him.

It felt like he was swimming. His thoughts were never coherant enough for any of them to make any sense, and were forgotten soon after they were formed in his mind. Something bothered him, he realized. Like he had forgotten something, but he could not identify what it was. That thought felt soon afterwards as well, leaving David floating aimlessly in the sea of his own consciousness. Time was nothing. Hours, days, years? It was impossible for him to determine how much time had passed.

"David." He looked around in the black emptiness. Where had that voice come from? Was it familiar to him?

"David." it said again. Suddenly, he was vaguely aware of something shaking his physical body. Brief flashes of faces lit the darkness, but faded before David recognized any of them.

"David!" it pleaded. David felt a sharp sting on his face that made his mental realm jolt violently, like David was being pulled. Something was waved under his nose and his mental world swirled into rushes of colors as his eyes snapped open into the physical world. Yuri was holding his head up, and tucked the unknown vial away in his belt.

"There you go." Yuri smiled. "Do not move. You broke a few ribs, it will just take a moment to fix them. _Episkey_!" David inhaled sharply as he felt a series of sharp tingling pinches in his chest then was overcome by waves of warmness which gave way to a numbing cold.

"Yuri, how did you -?

"Turns out I have an aptitude for this sort of thing." Yuri replied with a smile. A distant roar caught his attention and he ran off, leaving David laying in the grass. A flash of light lit the sky and David leapt to his feet as his memory jolted back into place. He started to run, but his steps slowed after he had gone only a few feet and an odd sensation came over him, like his body was extremely heavy. Each step was excruciatingly painful to his bones and his breathing became labored to the point that he stopped trying to move entirely.

Someone was behind him. He was not sure how he knew it, but the realization suddenly dawned on him that he had been hexed and now they stood behind him, watching his struggle with what felt like a kind smile. How did he know such a thing? Words Professor Clemens said nearly every day appeared tauntingly in his mind as a reminder, Constant Vigilance!

"I have waited a long time for this chance." the person said behind him. The voice sounded like it could have belonged to either a man or a woman. It was melodic and peaceful, filling David's thoughts with serenity. But from the feeling he was getting, he was sure beyond a doubt that it was a man. The feeling increased as the man approached him and stood barely a few feet away.

"I am incredibly sorry for the hex I have placed upon you, David." the man said. "But, it is necessary, I assure you." A hand placed itself on David's back, between his shoulder blades and something, a strange form of enery, lanced through his entire body and filled him completely. His vision changed again, and the two streams of hot liquid seeped from the corners of his eyes as they had before. The trees around him seemed to glow in a greenish hue and little orbs of green light rose from the grass as raindrops hit thier green leaves. Everything was suddenly alive and that same energy was flowing into him from everything around him. He realized he was not even holding his wand.

This feeling was completely different, its complete opposite. Instead of the blazing intensity of the wand, this was purifying, like everything in his body was being cleansed by it power. The power of the wand was like being filled with fire. But this new sensation was like he was submerged in water, he realized. It flowed through him.

"There." the voice said, withdrawing its hand. "It has been done." The hex was lifted, and David was suddenly alone. He spun around and saw nothing. There was no one in sight and David could not find any evidence that anyone had ever been standing there. Sounds of the distant conflict reached his ears once again, almost as if something had been muting them until now. He found his wand lying nearby and drew his Aegis. He opened the pommel and slid the wand into the chamber, before closing it up and holding his Aegis before him.

With his will, he called for Leyna'athas and felt the tattoo on his wrist throb in response. It glowed around his wrist as the words leviated off his skin and circled down the blade. The Aegis changed as the glowing runes passed over it and David squeezed the comfortable handle of his Leyna'athas. His Ashes of Autumn Twilight. His trusty Ashbringer. A call from overhead drew David's attention as Ashe soared from the sky and landed on his outreached arm and her keen eyes stared at him.

"Hey there." David said, scratching under her beak with a finger. "You must have been worried when you got home and saw what happened." She chirped slightly and affectionately nipped his finger before turning her head, as if asking him a question.

"Go." David bade her. "I'll take care of this. You go home." She clicked her beak and flapped her wings at him in disapproval.

"You wanna help?" he asked, as he readjusted her wings. "Fine, together then." She cried out and took to the sky as David began running to aid his friends.

Everything was amazing. David was fast, but suddenly, with the cool senastion running through him, he was running faster than he had ever imagined possible. Faster than Snow! He was subconciously aware of something trying to hinder his advance towards the Abolthydra as long as possible. Magically, it would try to make him stumble, but the spells fell off him like rain as he ran. He could see the fight up ahead and was amazed at how far he had flown when he had been hit. Snow was staying one step ahead of those tentacles, which looked to be numbered close to a hundred, while Yuri hit it with spells from a thick book in his hand. A few yards away, Vlad was sitting crosslegged in a circle surrounded by a dozen odd trinkets, like a dried salamander or the eye of a bogswandler. He was in intense mediation, sweat pouring off his brow as he concentrated on whatever it was he was doing. Ashe cried out and dived out from the clouds as lightning flew past her. Her sharp talonstore through one of the Abolthydra's many red eyes, leaving a red and blood smear behind her as she turned sharply to avoid a swinging tendril. She flew past David as he ran toward the monster, which seemed to notice him immediately. He jumped into a forward roll and spun midair over a sweeping strike, then rolled as soon as his feet touched ground, feeling the air current blow over him as another sweeping strike, meant to hit him as he landed, passed him by.

David rolled back onto his feet and sprinted toward the monster as fast as he could. Magic flooded through his hand as the wand cast a spell over him, and David's muscles surged with sudden and alarming strength. His next step slammed into the ground hard enough to make him leapt forward ten strides and he felt the rain and water burst away from the explosion of speed. He had to jump to avoid a four-way stab and was suddenly twenty feet in the air. The Abolhydra launched a single tentacle at David as he lay helpless midair. Yuri cast a spell on David that lifted him higher into the air before it wore off, and David rolled over once and bought his Aegis down with an overhead swing. An explosion erupted David entire field of vision as he heard inaudible words escape his mouth.

There was no fire. No smoke. David only saw the rippling airwaves of a blade of wind spliting the monster's tentacle in half all the way to the base, slashing deeply into the beast's side. Snow slowed David just before he hit the ground, allowing him to land on the ball of his foot while putting on his shield, then pushing himself forward with all his might. He felt the ground behind him give way like a giant tidalwave before finally giving David enough solid contact to fly forward like a bullet. David backhanded a downward slam by the creature, the Strengthening Charm the only thing that save him, as the tentacle was blown into a bloody mess. With the same motion, David stabbed forward with his Aegis, driving it deep into the Abolthydra's slimy side. Once again, he automatically spoke and a spray of blood and air rushed over David as a massive spear of sharpened air skewered the monster, leaving a nasty gaping hole in its side.

"Alright, everyone get back!" Vlad yelled over the beast's spine clenching roars of agony. David leapt back and slid to a stop in time to see Vlad get to his feet. He was surrounded by several balls of mutlicolored light and the expression on his face looked as if he was seeing something else. The balls of light rose up into the sky then knifed into the ground as long stick-like bars of light that burned the Abolthydra's skin everytime it touched them. David nearly fell over as the ground quaked and a low, deep and terrifyingly slow crack vibrated through his legs. The ground below the Abolthydra began to rise from the ground and into the sky, which was starting to brighten as the bars of light evaporated the cloud cover above the monster. Screams of pain turned into screams of terror as the creature began to realized what was happening and it lashed out at everything, trying to find a way to escape, cutting and burning off many of its limbs on its prison bars.

The sky seemed to split open and the fiery wrath of the sun washed over them all, causing the Abolthydra to burst into screaming and burning flames. The four of them stood there watching it burn. None of them knew how long it took. Hours could have gone by, but they were aware only of the flaming agony of their falling enemy. David did not feel anything. There was no sense of accomplishment. How much of what he had done was his doing? As David watched the blackening limbs flail out in terrible anguish, he felt nothing but the biting sting of his wounds, both healing and new. He had to find out if it was him. He came to the decision before any real thought on the matter, but realized instantly that it was the truth.

The screams slowly stopped and the bars of light faded, making the floating prison slowly crumble away and fall back into its hole. The body fell with a deafing crunch and lay completely still. People were running to them from the castle. The Professors reached them first, all crying out in suprise of the Abolthydra, but the four boys only seemed to look at each other and smile in approval. David was covered in globs of blood and other material, his shield dented and his sword glistening a deep crimson. His pants were in tatters and his eyes seemed to glow like two beacons in the dead of night. Snow's armor was destroyed, hunks of flesh dangled from the still remaining pieces of the armor, having leapt atop one of the monster's limbs while David had been tossed. One of the Aegis were missing, the broken handle a few yards away, the blade buried somewhere deep in the burnt corpse. His palms were cut and bleeding, as was the entire left side of his face from a close shave. Yuri tossed back Snow's wand, which he had apparently used to cast two spells simultaneously. One entire sleeve of his robes was gone, apparently burned away judging from the many tiny burns on his arm. Dirt and little flecks of blood clung to his cloths and skin, held on by the wetness of his sweat. Vlad was the only one who looked clean, but was the most exhasted. Huge dark circles and heavy bags were under his eyes, like he had not slept in nearly a week. His face was thin and pale, his skin was clamy, everything was stuck to his skin from his presperation. His breathing was extremely labored and he seemed barely able to stand. The only thing that looked healthy about him was the light in his eyes, that spark of childlike excitement that kept a grin on his face.

They were questioned repeatedly by every member of the faculty, as if their story would change. The only reason they were not punished was the overwealming pile of proof in thier defense. The hundreds of eye witness reports, a sworn testimony of Arthogate, who had no idea how his Spire had been breached, and the dead body of the monster itself. Over and over again, the nurse in the hospital wing, Madam Eleyna, fretted over their second rate healing and first aid, having to go over all their wounds and double check to make sure they were all healed properly before forcing them to sleep in the hospital beds for the night. David was the only one who did not complain, as it was his dorm room which still lay in pieces up in the Spire.

"At least we have a reasonable excuse to skip class." Snow joked as he layed back and relaxed. Evangeline came in after supper and visited with them, making them give her a full account of what happened until Madam Eleyna shooed her away so that they could get proper rest.

David finally was able to fall asleep, and was instantly plagued with memories of the day's events. He was in the dark kitchen trying to identify the voice he heard before his attention was drawn to the newspaper. He remembered every word, every detail of it and scanned it. He was drawn to the man on the right who was shaking hands with Professor Dumbledore. Something about him made his skin crawl.

The dream changed and he was standing below the castle, deep in the ruins where the plate was mounted. Before him, he saw Dumbledore and the other man, what was his name? It was something odd, like Gildrazi or Geldrizi. He searched his memory and recalled the page once again as Dumbledore and the man, Gylel'drazi was his name, animated and shook hands. Hands... Two memories bled together before his very eyes as Gylel'drazi turned from Dumbledore and walked towards David. Black shadows, like ink, rose from the ground and enveloped the man in a cloak-like material. It was the same man he saw before, David realized. The thin, white, bone-like hand was identical to the skeletal like one he encountered in the darkness below in the ruins. Gylel'drazi smiled wicked at David, his burning, bright red eyes locking on David's as he ascended the steps slowly, cold mist flowing from him as he came. David want to turn and run, tried to scream or move back, but was rooted firmly in place, immobile and silent as Gylel'drazi stopped before him. When he smiled, David saw long yellowed teeth behind those pale, lifeless lips, and the raspy chuckle was low and made David shiver uncontrollably. When he spoke, David felt as if an icy hand reached through his chest and crushed his head utterly and completely.

"Found you." Gylel'drazi smiled wickedly, as his right hand reached out and clenched David's face, covering his eyes.


	12. Chapter 12

David awoke suddenly, screaming at the top of his lungs, sweat rolling off his body in what felt like thick sheets of wetness. He stopped as soon as he realized what was happening then struggled to calm down and catch his breath. Nightmares plagued his sleep everytime he lay down to rest. They even visited him when he closed his eyes, as if the images of his torture were imprinted on the back of his eyelids. They were always the same. Gylel'drazi had him, and was torturing him, always in a different fashion. One night it was knives, the next it was with a sensation like his joints were about to exploded and his muscles were on fire. In the eight days since the event with the Abolthydra, David had gotten little to no sleep and dark circles were matched with minor paranoia during the daylight hours.

No one could decern the method in which the monster had entered the castle, let alone the highly enchanted defenses of the Spire. Professor Merlin was in charge of the investigation, and as such, had not been visiting David.

Their heroics did not go entirely unnoticed, to David's dismay. Within the next few days, the entire school was buzzing about the event, and on the breakfast table, Evangeline placed another newspaper each morning, each with a different title. 'Attack on Trinity Academy', 'Heros of the Spire', and many others were all about David and his friends. One entire article was dedicated to them one morning, about how the progedy David Crowley had surrounded himself with other progedies of his year. They were all written by Miss Chang, who had been hounded them for exclusive interviews everytime they left the castle. Even their Professors remarked about the unusual amount of talent of David's friends. Those who had seen the last part of their battle were how three of the four students were showing magical abilities far above their year, performing magic that would give them full scores on their O.W.L. and N.E.W.T.S. tests in their fourth and fifth years.

_ "The Strengthening Charm that Mr. Crowley performed was highly advanced spell. That is a very high score in the Specialized Enchantment and Extraordinary Defense exam, or S.E.E.D. exam, which allows a witch or wizard to apply for the Order of Merlin!", said Professor Clemens, the Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor at Trinity Academy._

Snow had received even more attention because even though he was an average student and wizard, his physical abilites more than made up for his magical talent. He was now a shining example of the dreams of the New World. A fusion of the magical and physical into an effective wizard. Now the instructors were investigating each of them, searching for the reason or method they were able to perform spells and curses beyond their year. Professor flooded David's dormitory the day after the attack. They were amazed at the assortment of books in David's library and confiscated them to search for any charms that allowed the reader to learn the contents faster. They tried to take David's notes on spell circles, but Professor Merlin assured them that David had written them himself, and ordered them not to be taken.

David looked around his dark dorm room, which slowly illuminated at his waking, and searched the darkness for anything out of place. He had been pleased when his dormitory was repaired by the time he returned from the Hospital Wing, and Arthogate informed him on the increased defenses that he had placed around it, but since the attack, he found himself more on edge. He would occasionally glance up at the ceiling, and more lights had appeared around the room.

David pulled his sweat covered shirt off and tossed it in the far corner and sat quietly. A bead of sweat rolled down his spine and tickled him slightly, but he was finally able to breath easier. He clenched his eyes and saw the image of Gylel'drazi laughing malicously as he stuck another nail in his hand, but the image faded as soon as he opened his eyes again. On the end table, David saw just what he was hoping for. None of the books in the library said anything about a man named Gylel'drazi. According to the newspaper, it was an extremely important day in the New World, but David could no longer find the news article, or any information in any of the books he opened. So, the night before he sat in his library and asked for it in his mind before heading off to bed. As always, when he awoke, the books were waiting for him on his end table, and he instantly picked up the one on top.

The book was heavier than it looked, as if the pages were made of lead. The cover looked like blackened scales and one giant silver rune that David did not recognize sat on the front. There was a lock holding the book closed, but instead of a keyhole, there was a tiny bowl with a thick spike in the middle. This book required a blood sacrifice to open, David assumed, and it was a very dark and dangerous book to read, probably on the Trinity Academy list of Banned Books. He climbed out of bed and took the book over to his desk. He set it down and looked up into the enchanted mirror that Professor Merlin had given him. He placed a hand on each side of the mirror, on the two outstretched angelic wings, and stared straight into it.

"Professor Merlin?" he called into the mirror. A few moments passed before the mirror glowed and a face appeared. In the smoky glass, David saw Professor Merlin standing exactly as he was, as if he were meerly staring through a window.

"And what do I owe the pleasure of this very early call, David?" Professor Merlin asked, perfectly calm dispite the hour.

"I need to talk to you." David sighed. "Could you...could you come here for a minute so we could talk in person?" Professor Merlin looked at him like he was about to say something before nodding. David stepped away from the mirror as Professor Merlin stepped forward, and seemed to melt through the wall like it was water. Professor Merlin looked around the room beaming, as he always did, a look of peace and genuine interest filling his face as if he were in a dream.

"So what, my young friend, may I do for you?" Professor Merlin inquired as he finally turned to regard David. David could not help it. Professor Merlin was the only instructor in the castle that David felt comfortable with. As wise and understanding as Professor Merlin could be, he was the only one David truly respected, as the wizard's mind and magic was far beyond David's. So he told the Merlin everything about what was wrong with him. He yelled, angry at everything, scared beyond anything he had ever experienced of the man who haunted his nightmares like some cheesy movie monster. Somehow, Professor Merlin remained completely impassive and calm, listening to David with genuine interest as David described his dreams, his nightmares, to him. The only time that Professor Merlin looked alarmed, was when David mentioned Gylel'drazi. David told him about what happened in the ruins, about the man cloaked in shadow, the newspaper, and how the dreams started. When David finished, Merlin turned and stared at the book for a while before picking it up. He waved a hand over it and the rune glowed and strangely angled lettering scratched themselves onto the leather. A strange look passed briefly through Professor Merlin's eyes before he calmly set the book down and dismissed his spell.

"Professor, who is Gylel'drazi?" David asked as he stared at the book. Merlin sighed very deeply before looking back at David.

"An elf. He was the last of his kind." Professor Merlin replied grimly. "He died during the dark times of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named nearly thirty years ago, defeated by those he hated the most."

"Dark wizards." stated David grimly.

"No, David. Us. Humans." Professor Merlin corrected him politely, smiling at the clouds outside of David's window.

"How come he is not in any of the history books, or in any text book I have looked in, then?" David wondered, sitting on his bed.

"Same reason that there are very few books on the history of house elves, or the lives of minotaurs." Merlin explained, and reached out a hand toward the pile of books near the bed. A single thin book flew out from the stack and into his hand, where it opened up to a page somewhere in the middle. He turned it around and handed it to David.

"I think you will find this information of some use." Merlin said. David took the book and quickly scanned the page. It was a book that listed the inventors of almost everything in the wizarding world, David assumed as he read down the names and achievments. Finally, toward the bottom of the right page, in tiny letters was Gylel'drazi.

_Gylel'drazi Duamithon is one of the few elves listed in history. Through him, Dark wizards learned how to create Inferi, reanimated corpses. Gylel'drazi Duamithon's best and worst achievement was the invention of the three Unforgivable Curses in the First Ages._

"What are the three Unforgivable Curses?" David asked upon finishing. "I do not remember reading about it in any of my text books."

"They are the three spells that earn you a one way trip to Azkaban if used on another." Merlin explained, his smile faded a little before adding "I do not think they are the kind of magic you would find in a text book."

"I don't understand." David said, biting his lip in thought. "Why would he teach those to wizards if he hated them so much?" Merlin pulled out a chair and sat down, folding his robes over his lap crisply and sitting peacefully before replying.

"Normally, I would not be speaking like this to a student, David." Merlin said. "It is only because I am your mentor that I will answer. Please know, however, that we are entering a realm of theories, not facts. Most of what will we discuss is pure speculation. Tell me, David, how would you kill a person without doing it yourself?"

"I would probably get someone else to do it for me." David replied curtly.

"Exactly." Merlin nodded. "Please once again. How would you kill an entire group of people without being discovered?"

"Well. Poison or Disease. Pollute the livestock and poison their drinking water, I would imagine." David replied again, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Once again, David, your deduction is correct." Merlin sighed and tilted his head to the side. "I think that is the very basic idea behind the reasoning Gylel'drazi had. He laid a seed, that grew into a thriving plant of fear and death that spanned ages beyond our own. He invented the means for humanity to be the cause of its own destruction. What better way than to be able to watch as mankind turned on each other, killing hundreds of innocent men, women, and children with the very curses he himself created? What else would bring such a man more pleasure than to watch generation after generation fall before him, without any effort on his part? Waves upon waves of Inferi terrorizing the countryside, thousands of screams of tortured victims through the Cruciatus Curse, which he passed onto a wizard personally, distrust spreading like wildfire through homes, not being able to tell if your own family members have fallen victim to the Imperius Curse, and to take pleasure in watching it from afar. Can you imagine such a being?"

David got up and slid it into a slot on the bookshelf where he kept his writing on spell circles, that way he could read it later. When he turned back, Professor Merlin was staring outside at his view with a wistful look on his face, then looked about the room again, his eyes once again pausing on the book with the blood lock.

"Can I ask you another question, Professor?" David wondered as he stared at the book. His curiousity in the item grew the more he thought about it.

"Ah. A question can be a very troublesome thing, David." Merlin smiled weakly. "Alas, there are things that I can not tell you, and even fewer that I know that I shall not answer. If the question is what I presume it to be, then- I am sorry- I will not tell you. Any question you ask, however, I will try to answer, but I will not tell you convenient half truths."

"Why is he haunting my nightmares?" David blurted out.

"Sadly, David, that I do not know." Merlin answered.

"A theory then." David insisted, to which Merlin laughed weakly and tucked his hands into his sleeves. In that moment, looking down on David, Professor Merlin was more of a wizard that anyone David had met, his eyes projecting an ageless amount of wisdom.

"Theories then." Merlin nodded in agreement, suddenly darker and serious. "David, I believe you have something he wants. No, not your wand." He added when David instinctively went to look for it in his pocket.

"A wand means nothing to Gylel'drazi Duamithon." Merlin assured him. "Elves do not require wands to perform magic. Their magic is powerful in more ways than our own, but is on a level of complexity far beyond most Elves, so only a handful are able to master the art. What the Dark Master wants is something else. I have a few speculations, but they are not important. What _is_ important is that we teach you how to protect yourself from his mental invasions."

"How do we do that?"

"Occlumency." Professor Merlin beamed.

"...What?" David asked.

"Occulmency, David. It is how witches and wizards can shield their minds from Legimency, which allows one to read people's thoughts." Professor Merlin assured David, walking up beside him. "I believe it is appropriate."

"I've never even heard of it." David replied, slightly disgusting in his lacking of knowledge, even after all he had learned.

"David. No one man can know everything there is to know. No matter how hard he may try, its like water through your fingers. Most of it always escapes us, but we drink what we have." Merlin smiled, patting David on the shoulder.

"If that is what knowledge is like, then for me, my thirst for it is unquenchable. I could drink and drink, but it is never enough. Even plunging my face into the water's surface wouldn't suffice, and I would drink and drink until I couldn't anymore. There would still be water...and I would still be thirsty."

"That is a dangerous road, David." Merlin warned him. "Often times, it can lead only to darkness."

"I do not see the world in terms of black and white, Professor." David said proudly. "I see it in millions of different shades of the same dull gray. All of the lighter shade separate themselves from the darker, but there is always that space in the middle where they meet. That is where I am."

"Why, when I speak of darkness, do you assume I am speaking of evil?" Merlin wondered, leaning in close. "No, David, I see the world the same as you. But the darkness I refer to is the darkness in your _heart_." David looked at his mentor as he thought about what the wize wizard had said, the advice from someone he had come to respect, and knew far more about the world, life, and magic.

"Now, if you will please excuse me, dear David, but it is growing far to early, and I hear a cloudlike object calling to my dreams." Professor Merlin said, heading toward the mirror. "I bid you good night, David. And rest assured, that until you master Occulmency, I have placed wards to protect you."

"Thank you, Professor. Good night to you as well." And without further comment, Professor Merlin walked into the wall and seemed to pass through it like it were made of water. David was left there to ponder what he had been told, but he could not help noticing that the Professor had left with his book. So, he turned to his pile of books and began to read through them, combing them for any additional information for the thousands of unasked questions floating through his mind.

"Arthogate." Professor Merlin said when he was once again in his office. He set the thick book down on the table and turned to face a wispy image of a large lion.

"Yes, Professor?" the lion wondered.

"That." Merlin replied, pointing toward the book. "You supplied that kind of book to a student."

"Not I, Professor Merlin, but the magic of the Spire." Arthogate explained.

"Yet you are the overseer." Merlin retorted. "How could you allow such a thing to come into the hands of a student? Let alone Mr. Crowley?"

"It is beyond my control, Professor." Arthogate stated with finality. "Young David's mind produced his room, much like it produced yours years before. The magic that his mind wove into that room is far too complex to set limits to it." Merlin sighed and rubbed his chin in thought. As he did, a long white beard flowed from his fingers and his white turned from a short blonde into a long white mane pulled back into a loose braid. His youthful appearance was replaced by one of an much older man with kind features.

"That spell places too much strain on your mind, Professor Merlin." Arthogate said, watching the now elderly man walk energetically toward his study.

"Bah." Merlin waved a hand back at the phantom image. "I have managed to keep this going far longer than you have existed, dear Arthogate. And I imagine I will go on for many generations to come." Merlin waved his hands and dozens of floating candles flamed to life around the room.

"Do you know what book David got his hands on?" Merlin asked, crooking a thin finger. The heavy book lifted up and floated up, then flew over in front of Merlin as he reached a desk.

"Yes." Arthogate replied, still standing the same spot.

"Can you imagine a book this powerful in that boy's hands?" Merlin wondered, beaming despite himself. "The child has already completely studied by tomes and scrolls, memorized them all by heart, and has actually begun advancing beyond my knowledge, into the very heart of true magic. If he read this now, I fear the repercussions. He could be corrupted by it and his evolution will stop, or worse yet, he will deviate from his current path and fall into darkness." Arthogate shifted uneasily and Merlin opened the book and examined its contents for the second time in his long life. Merlin's eyes milked over and his head tilted back so he was looking straight up. His arms fell limp at his side and his mouth opened. Thousands of different voices echoed in whispers from his open mouth, but Merlin himself said nothing.

"No." Merlin said suddenly, returning to normal. "It is too early for that boy." He leviated it up and toward Arthogate, who looked at it in confusion.

"There will be a time here soon, where David will come and ask you for this book, Arthogate." Merlin explained. "Only then, will he be ready to read it, and so I place this in your care."

"You have forseen this?" Arthogate asked, as the book became shrouded in his shadowy figure.

"Yes." Merlin nodded. "Without that book, David will not understand everything, and he will fail his task. Keep it safe." With those words, Arthogate nodded slowly and fazed from view, and the book was gone. Merlin pursed his thin wrinkled lips in thought for a moment before turned and striding into his library. There were books and papers of all eras of time. Merlin had been preparing for this for millenia, every since he first recieved its vision in his youth. He had figured everything out, except one single image. A beacon of bright light spliting the sky in half, igniting the clouds into fire as it passed and scorching the land for miles in all directions. He had no idea what it was, where it would happen, or when.

Now, everything was falling into place, much faster than he had anticipated, a few years at least. Merlin walked into a small amitheatre with a stone pedestal at the middle, which he headed toward immediately. On its surface was a bowl of water, a light blue and radiating a pure white light. Merlin reached into its surface and splashed its contents on his face, which immediately reverted to its youthful form. Merlin did not have time to be old. Merlin needed his youthful body and powers, his mind sharp and clear. Merlin needed everything to be at its best, if they expected to have any chance at winning the war. 


	13. Chapter 13

David clearly remembered his broomstick lessons earlier in the year. He managed to summon it to his hand easy enough, but once he had flown up about thirty feet, it felt like the bottom of his stomach dropped out and he froze. Finally, Madam Rise had to come up and guide him down. It was one of the most embarrassing events David could remember in his entire life, and it all came back when he saw the banner hanging in the Grand Hall during breakfast that morning.

NAEDALANCE TRYOUTS BEGIN TODAY!, it read with capital letters that changed all colors of the rainbow. The Quidditch matches were fun to watch, so David wondered what these would be like.

David liked Quidditch. It was a fast paced sport that kept him interested. They had seven teams, two for each House and one for the school, and they all had thier own names. For the Lotus, there were the Magic, clad in green, and the Rogues, in blue. For the Asur, there were the Dragons, clad in red, and the Suns, in orange. And finally, for the Elden Crest, there were the Knights, in white, and the Blades, in Silver. The last one was the Trinity Crusaders, clad in all black, and David's favorite because their Seeker, Jordon Prewitt, was amazing. One game, he even jumped from his broom to catch the Snitch and managed to land on Helga Munstrum, a Chaser for the Asur Suns.

"Are you sure you will not tell me what Naedalance is?" David asked again.

"I'm telling you the truth, man. I don't know what it is either." Snow replied, trying to eat his omelette.

"Relax, David." Evangeline said, resting a comforting hand on David's shoulder. "There are plenty of people in our year who do not know what Naedalance is, so don't worry about it." David's attention was drawn by the mail. Hundreds of owls streamed in through vents high in the Grand Hall and fluttered down to their owners. David always liked to watch it for a bit before continueing to eat his breakfast, but this morning was different. Ashe was among the owls, and she swooped down onto the table before him, leaving a thin envelope in his lap before helping herself to his toast.

"That is different." Snow remarked, lightly stroking Ashe's feathers. David agreed as he tore it open with a butter knife, then pulled out the letter inside, which was printed on thick parchment, and read:

_Dear Mr. David Crowley,_

_ We of Elden Crest are proud to annouce that you are hereby invited to tryout for an empty position in our Naedalance team. Positions available for applicants are:_

_ Seeker  
Hunter  
Beater  
Chaser_

_ Your classes for today have been notified of this letter, and your are excused from them for the duration of your tryout. Please report to the Quidditch field at 9:00 a.m._

_ Sincerely yours,_

_ Joshua Heaton  
Elden Crest Naedalance Team Captain_

"Look everyone! Crowley has an invite!" someone yelled, and everyone ran over to look at it. David continuously had to snatch it away as people grabbed it, making him instantly sorry he opened it in public. Evangeline and Snow helped David push through the crowd and they ran into the Arthogate's painting and into the Spire commons.

"You would think you had one the fucking lottery." Snow said, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Vultures, they are."

"It was a bit much." Evangeline agreed, catching her breath. David let them read the letter before catching the smile on Snow's face.

"What are you so happy about?" David wondered suspiciously.

"Well, I kinda felt bad." Snow replied sheepishly, reaching into his book bag and withdrawing a similare envelope and showing it to David. "I did not want you to wonder why they did not choose you as well."

"Are you kidding? I don't even _want_ to try out. What if it is fighting some dragon or something?" David sighed, sitting down in a overlarge couch.

"No, that is way to dangerous for the Professor's to allow." Evangeline comforted him, apparently not catching the sarcasm he had displayed, but David thanked her anyways. "Well I guess this means that I am left out again. " she added, getting up.

"I'm sorry." David said stupidly, not knowing what else to say. Evangeline gave him a small smile and took his hand in hers.

"Remember David. I don't like losers or men who come in second." she smiled. "I'll see you when you are done." She squeezed his hand and walked calmly through the portal.

"You know, even if you lost, I think that girl would still stay by your side." Snow remarked, elbowing David. "Lucky dog. Why don't you just ask her out already?"

"I've never asked a girl out before." David replied. "I don't know what to do. I kinda get all nervous when I think about it."

"Oh lord! What doth I heareth?" Snow cried out in mocking drama. "What dosth thou sayeth? They do not teach such things in books? Oh what cruelty is this?"

"Shut up." David replied, giving Snow a shove, which made him break out into laughter. "Come on, I guess that if we are going, we might as well be early." As they made their way through the castle, Snow and David discussed something David had never really talked about before. Women. It was not unpleasant at all, talking about girls and what they thought about others of their year. To be respectful, Snow avoided asking what David thought about Evangeline and David not speak of it. Before either of them realized it, they were sitting down outside in the Quidditch feild, which was covered in early morning frost and a thin cold layer of snow. Before long, more people started filtering towards the field and were whispering excitedly to one another. One of them, wearing a black hooded cape, was carrying an overlarge suitcase, which he set down in the snow and pulled out a silver whistle. Its shrill cry rang out over the crowd and drew their attention to the young man who waited patiently for them.

"Welcome, Everyone. I am Josh Heaton, Captain of the Elden Crest team." He introduced himself. His voice reminded David of a movie actor. Josh scanned the group and sighed in irritation. "After a quick headcount, I have just realized that some of you are extra. If you did not receive an invitation, than you must leave now, or I will get a Professor here." A few people groaned and sluggishly trodded off toward the castle. David counted fifteen students.

"Now, we may begin." Josh smiled. "How many of you know what Naedalance is?" David looked around and saw that there was not a single person who raised their hands, which oddly enough made Josh smile. "That's good. If you would all gather around me, I will begin explaining." Snow patted David's shoulder as they got up and stood near Josh, who had begun opening the case.

Josh flipped open the lid, which opened wide enough to lay on the ground. In both halves of the case were two more doors. The bottom one opened left and the top opened up to the right. The original case opened another door that went down. Inside each off these was another door. The top middle opened to the left, the top right opened downward, the bottom center opened to the right and the middle left opened down. Now the case was three times the size as it was before, as if there were nine cases arranged in a square. In each case were several size balls and bats similar to the once used in Quidditch. Josh picked up the Quaffle and looked around brightly as his tryouts.

"Naedalance is a sport that was invented here in the New World. When this country was first formed, broomsticks were an extremely rare item, and in addition, there was a ban on their use at the time. Many of the immigrant witches and wizards wanted to play Quidditch, but it was impossible without brooms." Josh explained, tossing the Quaffle back and forth rapidly, obviously skilled in handleing the ball. "Then, Nathaniel Naeda, an immigrant wizard from the Old World, created a game similar to Quidditch, but on the ground. This became known as Naedalance."

"Naedalance is set in many different courses. This case here, is called the Norden. When a game starts, the referee activates it and it creates a randomized enviornment for the teams to play on. Sometimes, the field may be half the size of a Quidditch field, other times, although rarely, they have gotten as big as a mile long. There is normally rough terrain or obstacles throughout the arena, but every now and then it a course made for speed. All team members must be prepared for anything that may come up in a match."

" There are three Chasers, who play using this ball, the Quaffle. On either side of the arena, there are three hoops, much like in Quidditch. The Chasers objective is to get the Quaffle through the hoops, called a goal, or take it from the other team. Each goal is worth one point if made from within their territory, two points if made from ours. There are two Keepers per team, defending the hoops and trying to prevent the other team from advancing, or they are allowed to act as additional Chasers. All in all, there can be a total of five Chasers per team trying to gain control of the Quaffle at any given time. I am a Keeper." Josh tossed the Quaffle at a student and picked up a small bat that looked more like a club.

"Also, there are Beaters. They play the exact same way as in Quidditch. The Beaters hit the Bludgers at the other team, but this time, there is no broom to fall off of, so their purpose is to slow you down, or hurt you. In addition, there are four Bludgers on the field, potentially one for each Beater. In the center, there are two new positions called Hunters. Their purpose is to hunt members of the other team and engage them. Slow them down, knock them out, steal the ball, what ever it takes to keep them from advancing. They may also play as Chasers if needed, as long as the number of Chasers does not exceed five. Another thing Hunters can do is play as a Keeper if necessary, increasing the amount of defense your team has, but there cannot be more than three players playing as Keeper at anyone time." Josh reached down and pulled out a small silver Snitch and held it up for everyone to look at.

"There is a Snitch in this game, but it has been modified. Its is slower, to compensate for the lack of a broom, but it is trickier than normal Snitches. There is only one Seeker per team, and they both chase after this one Snitch. Catching the Snitch is worth five points and ends the quarter. There are four quarters to a game, three games to a match, and we normally play each team twice a season. Any questions so far?" Josh looked around and pointed to a girl from the second year who raised her hand.

"How many teams are there?" she wondered.

"Four total." Josh replied. "Anything else?" This time Snow raised his hand.

"So the way to win is to catch the Snitch four times?" Snow asked.

"Good question. No." Josh replied. "There are a few different ways to win. First, catch the Snitch more than the opposing Seeker. However, we can still lose if the other team has more points by the end of the game. Another way is to score ten points in a quarter. If ten points are made by a team, the quarter is over, then a new one starts. The third way is by time. Each quarter can only be half an hour long. If time runs out, the team with the most points wins the quarter. Lastly, the other team is forced to forfeit because they no longer have enough team members to compete. There must be a minimum of five players per team. One Seeker, one Keeper, one Hunter, one Beater, and one Chaser. Any less and the game is over."

"So what's with the cloak?" David blurted out, not really thinking to raise his hand. Josh was not upset, but seemed to be very pleased at the question.

"You are David Crowley, right?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, I've heard about you. I am eager to see if you and your friend are as good as they say." Josh replied, but grasped his cloak and held it out before them to show them all. "This cloak here is your team standard. Elden Crest are black, Lotus are White, Asur are Red, and the Trinity team is Yellow. Yes? Question?"

"What do you mean Trinity Team?" Snow asked, lowering his hand. ]

"The Trinity team is made up of the aces of every class. I guess you could call them an All-Star team." Josh replied quickly before continueing his explanation. "This cloak has no name or number. Does anyone have an idea why?"

"Deception." David replied. Josh seemed suprise at David's reply, but smiled after passing through his wave of shock.

"Yes, Crowley is correct. You see, both teams know who the Seeker and the Beaters are. But as for the rest of the team, able to switch out and play different roles, they can keep their position a secret. Trust me when I say that when there are ten people running around you loose track of who is who, or who is playing what role. Also, this allows Hunters to ideally play their role without risking being discovered by the other team. A Hunter can go the entire game playing as a Chaser in order to get the drop on their Keepers in the final quarter."

"So the hood is supposed to shield your identity?" Snow wondered doubtfully.

"Good observation." Josh remarked, pulling up his hood. It did shadow his face, and David could see how you could loose track of a player in a match. Josh leaned into the case and pulled out an oval mask, made out of white polished metal, then put it on his face. With the uniform, it was impossible to tell anything about Josh except his height and build.

"See, the masks are part of the team uniform. Combined with our cloaks and our movements, players can quickly forget who is who." Josh replied. "Since the Seeker is the only one who may touch the Snitch, their uniform does not have a mask or a hood. The Beaters get their bat, so automatically the other team knows who the Beaters are. It is a very complex strategic game, often time pure chaos."

"So why the great secrecy?" a third year boy asked.

"Because people who are chosen as members of the team are hidden." Josh replied. "Who they are, what position they play. Only the Seeker is revealed. Since I played Seeker last year, my identity is already publicly known. Also, people above first year are not allowed to tell the first years anything about the game. Its an old tradition that is always obeyed."

"So when do we start?" Snow wondered.

"Right. Okay, you will all try out for each open position. Then, later today, I will send an owl to the people chose, with information about practice times and what position they will be playing. Right now, we have five open positions. One Chaser, One Beater, Two Hunter, and a Seeker. I know that you can all count. There are five slots but there are 24 of you. I am sorry to say that many of you will not make this years team. First up, is a speed test." Josh drew his wand and said something below his breath, then drew a line that looked like it was made of fire.

"You will run to the end of the Quidditch field and back as fast as you can. Both feet must leave the field before you can turn to run back. When you cross this finish line, I will write down and call out a number from 1 to 10, ten being the best. These first tests are to determine your physical ability alone. Only the top 10 applicants will progress through these tests. Now everybody on the mark."

David looked over to Snow, who winked and headed to the line, obviously confident about his speed over everyone else around them. David felt nervous as he knelt in the runner's stance they taught him in middle school. It was not that he really wanted to make the team. In fact, David was pretty sure he did not care one way or another whether he made the team or not. Peer pressure maybe? David slowly exhaled, clearing his thoughts. Immediately, his mind muffled all exterior sound, leaving only his slow exhale and the blood pumping through his temples. He distantly heard Josh tell everybody to get ready and adrenaline began coursing through his veins.

Everything sharpened and outlined itself in a thin nearly invisible line of light. His muscles relaxed completely as he looked down the field to the dark green grass below. It was the exact same feeling that came over him before he killed the Abolthydra. His muscles warmed up without his attention, covering David in a thin layer of cool sweat. His breath fogged in front of him in the cold air and red sparks filled the air in front of the starting line. Something inside David snapped and he leapt nearly ten feet in front of the starting line, then began sprinting. Excitement coursed through his veins when he noticed that he was running neck and neck with Snow, they were going stride for stride at a break neck pace. Before David realized it, they reached the end of the field and had to think about what the best way to turn around was, without loosing any speed.

Snow dropped to a low skid on his left foot, grasped the ground firmly, swung both feet outside the field, then launched himself towards the finish line. At the same time, by Snow's side, David skid sideways on his right foot until both feet left, then seemed to vanish for a second as he slammed his left foot down so hard he propelled himself enough distanct to run next to Snow once again. They were already on their way back and the rest of the tryouts were just barely passing them. Both David and Snow crossed the line at the same time and immediately gave each other a high five before resting their hands on their knees for breath.

"You both earn 10 for your speed test." Josh finally remarked as he recovered from his shock. "You guys both just ran over 200 yards in less than 25 seconds. That has to be some kind of record." David looked over at Snow, who was patting him on the back in congradulations, and smiled wholeheartedly. The next five students who crossed the line got 10 as well, a few got 9s and 8s. David was even shocked when a second year scored a 6.

The next test was a Strength test. Josh placed a mat on the ground and would hand the bar to the applicant before beginning the test. Magically, the bar got heavier and heavier until either Josh recalled the incantation or the student failed, which was normally the case. One by one they lined up to take the test while being able to watch. David noticed that Josh was giving them a higher score this time. A student who was able to hold up the bar for 28 seconds received a score of 12. The second year boy, who had recieved a low score in speed, was able to hold up the bar for one minute before Josh said he had seen enough and gave him a 20. Snow show boated a bit and held the bar one handed, but lost balance and dropped the bar, which earned him a score of 16 because he held it up for close to 20 seconds with one hand. David was able to hold up the bar for 34-seconds and received a 15.

"Don't feel too bad about it, David." Snow said, shaking David by a shoulder. "That bar is enchanted to get 10 lbs. heavier every second. Thirty-four seconds is not bad when you consider how much weight that was on your arms."

Next, they were tested on how dexterous they were. Josh led them off the field and into a grove that had a large pit in the center. Inside the pit was hundreds of wood poles of different heights and width. The pit itself was only seven feet wide, but Josh made them go three people at a time. There were many points when there was only enough poles for one or two people to cross. Josh seemed to rating them on the speed and accuracy in which they could traverse the course. Snow adviced that they go in separate groups, which proves to be beneficial. Snow leapt from pole to pole at speeds that left his competators falling behind, and received a 17. David waited back and climbed a nearby tree to get a good look at the course from a higher perspective. By doing that, he was able to figure out the best course to travel, so when his turn came up, he finished it over 10 seconds faster than Snow, and received a 20.

They took test after test for several hours until it was time for lunch and Josh called them all to a group. Somehow, there was only a handful of people still able to stand, which Josh rated them on, calling it their endurance rating. David and Snow both got 18s, which was due to the fact that they were still able to rapidly talk while showing no sign of tiring. They all ate bagged lunches that appeared in the middle of the field, and Josh allowed them an hour to recover before he would announce the results. Until then, they were allowed to go where they pleased as long as it was within the Quidditch field. Snow led the way to a part of the field which was shaded by a tree, and they pulled out thier food, which turned out to be subsandwiches. Josh walked up with a bag of his own and asked if he could join them.

They did not really talk all that much. Josh was supposed to remain unbiased during the tests, and so sitting down and talking to two of the applicants might have seemed a bit to forward. So, instead, Josh sat down, and ate silently in the shade, remarking only on the cold weather or something else around them. Before too long, however, lunch was over and it was time for them to get back to work. They all lined up and waited as Josh flipped through a notebook and jotted down information, keeping them all in suspense. One by one, he named off people, telling them he was sorry, but they were more than welcome to try again next year, but crossed their name off to make a point. Some fought it, cursing and yelling indignantly, but Josh simply stood there and waited patiently while they screamed until they left of their own will. David elbowed Snow and they traded a knowing look momentarily, but looked away before anyone would notice.

"Okay, boys and girls." Josh said, smiling again. "The next tests are about more than just your physical strengths. Now, we will test how well you can react to a situation, how fast your reflexes are, and your ability to see beyond the situation. We will even see how well your memory is. From these tests, we will move into another set of tests, one each for each open position. Then, tomorrow, I will be sending owls to the chosen applicants. Any questions?" David could not help but see than no one raised a hand or questioned anything Josh had said. It was, after all, pretty straight forward.

"Alright. First up, we will test your memory skills." Josh announced. From a case, he pulled out a small clear ball and twirled it in his fingers. It seemed to defy gravity in his fingers. In four spots around the ball was a small colored circle. Each time Josh touched one, the entire ball changed to that color. Blue, Red, Green, Yellow.

"The ball will show you a color twenty different times. Your task is to repeat it as best as you can. Each time it flashes white, you passed that color. But if it shocks you, you entered the wrong color and your test is over." Josh explained. "Who wants to go first? David? How about you?"

"I gotta warn you, dude, David has an amazing memory." Snow said. Josh smiled and handed it to David, who held it between his fingers and waited. Blue, green, red, red, blue, red, green, yellow, blue, yellow, green, blue, green, red, yellow, green, green, blue, yellow, red.

"Simple enough." David stated, punching in the sequence without a single hesitation before handing it back to Josh. "I guess this means I get a twenty then."


	14. Chapter 14

David sat quietly in his room, listening to soft music and flipping through ancient books that had appeared on his desk that morning. While he was trying to seem normal, David's mind was racing with the events of the day before. After all the tests, there were only ten of them left, but it was the position practice that was fun. In uniform so that they would not be recognized, the entire Naedalance team arrived on the field. One by one, each applicant took an open position in the team, and played a round of a mock game. Most of them did pretty good from what David saw.

There was one girl, Miki Hampton, who was exceptionally good at playing Seeker. As soon as Josh let the Snitch go, her eyes never left it, managing to play the game and dodge Bludgers at the same time, and she always managed to catch it fairly quickly, even when Josh was acting as her competition. David was sure that she would recieve the role of Seeker on the team. Even David and Snow did not do as well as she did.

Even though he was slower than most of the applicant, Henry Mitchell's strength and intelligence more than made up for that. He did not do very well at most of the openings, but as a Beater, David was in awe. Obviously Muggle-born, Henry gripped the bat in baseball style, and hit the Bludger like it was a fastball, normally driving it hard and fast enough that his target had no time to react. Even worse than that was the fact that Henry had the endurance to be able to do it constantly from an entire hour long game. More than one, Josh was forced to cast a Shield Charm in order to protect members of the team.

David was sure those two would earn those positions, but he was unsure about the last three openings. He and Snow did pretty well in their tests, but there were others who were better at playing certain positions.

A knock at the door pulled David out of his book and into reality. He placed in a bookmark and set it aside before heading to the door. David opened it to see a bright and smiling Snow in his doorway with a roll of paper in his hand.

"I got in!" Snow exclaimed, shaking his fist gripping the scroll. David motioned for him to be quiet and let him inside before they talked about it any more. Snow walked into the kitchen and slammed the paper on the counter before diving into David's fridge for a snack. In a hand written letter, David saw that Josh had given Snow a score sheet and the announcement of their first practice.

Dear Yukio Hiruma,

Your results of yesterday's tests were amazing. Included below is your score sheet. This sheet is given to all teams and staff and a copy is given to the announcer. Following the rules, the moniker "Hermit" as been given to you. First practice will take place on Wednesday at 5 pm. Look forward to playing with you.

-Josh

**'Hermit'** Position:Hunter

Team: Elden Crest

Height: 5'10" Weight: 168 lbs

_Strength_ 16/20 _Judgement_ 10/10

_Speed _ 10/10 _Intelligence _ 11/20

_Endurance_ 18/20 _Stealth _ 14/20

_Dexterity_ 17/20 _Acrobatics_ 19/20

_Accuracy_ 20/20 _Perception _ 8/10

"Geez, man, that's pretty good." David remarked, looking up to see Snow eating a celebration pint of ice cream.

"Actually, I was a bit disappointed." Snow replied in between bites. "I was hoping to get Seeker. You know, be the team rep and show off for the ladies? Eh? And I thought my scores would be better."

"What are you talking about?" David said, dumbounded. "Almost half of these are close to top marks!"

"Exactly." Snow nodded, tilting the cup so that the last of the melted ice cream fell into his mouth. "I was hoping for all twenties. That Josh guy is a real strict bastard, I tell you."

"You know, that strict bastard is now your team captain, right?" David called as he headed into the living room to sit in the sofa.

"Oh man, I totally forgot about that." Snow's voice said, as his head had once again disappeared in the fridge. David rolled his eyes and turned to turn on the television when something made him stop. Sitting in the middle of the table was an paper scroll that had not been there before, and next to it was Ashe, twittering impatiently.

"Thank you, Ashe." David said dully, distracted by the scroll. "You can help yourself to whatever you want for the rest of the day." She adjusted her wings before flying down the hall toward her cage and the window, leaving David to stare at the message.

"Snow?" he managed to say through his dry throat.

"What's up?" Snow replied, coming around the couch holding a sandwich. "You sound like you have to take a- Dude, is that an acceptance letter?" David only managed to shrug and smile nervously, making Snow's eyes roll as he reached for the letter while muttering, "Wuss."

"Dear David Crowley," he read. "I am proud to say that your results were among the highest I have ever seen. ...fantastic. Butt kisser."

"Keep reading." David replied.

"Included below is your score sheet. This sheet is given to all teams and staff and a copy is given to the announcer. Following the rules, the moniker "Raven" as been given to you. It seemed appropriate after our talk about your love of crows and ravens. First practice will take place on Wednesday at 5 pm blah blah blah the end."

"What about my scores?" David wondered.

"Look for yourself." Snow answered, handing it to David.

**'Raven'** Position:Hunter

Team: Elden Crest

Height: 5'8" Weight: 164 lbs

_Strength_ 15/20 _Judgement_ 10/10

_Speed _ 10/10 _Intelligence _20/20

_Endurance_ 18/20 _Stealth _ 18/20

_Dexterity_ 20/20 _Acrobatics_ 13/20

_ Accuracy_ 10/20 _Perception _ 10/10

"Wait, then this means we are both Hunters?" David asked, smiling up at Snow.

"Yep. You and me, man. A team. Like Batman and Robin, Paris Hilton and hooch, Freshmal and Turan."

"Fresh and who?"

"Nevermind, Robin." Snow smiled.

"Fuck that." David retorted. "You're Robin."

"You wish, fruitie." Snow laughed then dodged a book. "Anyway, this means you and I can work as a team to take down the other teams."

"You and strategy? No way." David remarked.

Snow agreed. "So, why Hermit?"

"Because you'll be alone for the rest of your life?"

"No, man, that's totally not funny!" Snow griped as David burst out into laughter. It was the hardest thing for them not to tell anyone. They would trade looks, but they never said anything. Classes came and gone like normal. Everyone was talking about the game in two weeks as eagerly as anything David had ever heard, but the practices that Josh put them through were nothing short of attempted murder.

They had been introduced to the rest of the team one by one over the next month. There were three chasers: Victor Wilsom, third year, codename Atlas. Amanda Parker, fifth year, codename Freya, and new to the team Jensen Riaz, fifth year, codename Razzo. As Seeker, David's prediction was spot on, Miki Hampton was chosen, given the codename Falcon. Josh was one of the Beaters, nicknamed Phalanx, while Henry Mitchell was chosen as the new Beater, codename Ogre. The two Keepers were second year twins, who were impossible to tell apart until they spoke, Daniel and Seig Hertzer, codenamed Night and Day. Apart from the first time they were introduced, everyone kept on their masks for security and safety, but whenever David passed one of them in the halls, they gave each other small smiles. Evangeline even got upset at him once because she thought he was checking out Miki Hampton during lunch.

Slowly, day by day, through training, classes, and mountains of homework, it became December. The Grand Hall was in the process of being transformed for Christmas. Students were talking to one another about trips home for the holidays and what they were hoping to do, but before they left, the very first game of Naedalance was scheduled.

"You sure you don't want to go home?" Vladimir wondered at lunch one day.

"No, Vlad. I am not going." David assured him for what seemed like the hundreth time.

"But, think about it, David." Vlad argued. "You'll be here while everyone else has left for the holidays. You'll practically be alone here in the castle." David had to admit that was true. Even Evangeline was headed home for the holidays, and she more than once offered to bring him home with her to meet her parents, but he graciously declined. It would be his first Christmas away from the Orphanage and that was something he valued more than anything. Besides, he did not mind being alone. It meant he could wonder the halls without bumping into someone. There would be no lessons for three weeks and no one to interrupt his reading on the weekends. He imagined it would be somewhat pleasant to get away from the daily routine.

"Just drop it, Vlad." Yuri scolded as he sat down at the table. "It's David's decision not to go home. Besides, he might have a really good reason."

"I don't know." Vlad shook his head. "I just get this feeling that something might happen while we are gone. What is another thing like the Abolthydra appears?"

"Then I'll just have to kill it." David laughed with a wink as he took a bite of the steak from his plate.

"What about your friend?" Yuri wondered. "Isn't he staying as well?"

"Yeah!" Vlad replied, brightening up. "I could introduce him to you."

"You kidding?" Snow wondered. "We don't even know this guy. Every time we all try to hang out, the two of you ditch us. Hell, you haven't even told us his name."

"Alexander." said a voice behind David. David turned to see a very asexual young man walking up to the table. He was very thin, like those goth kids that David saw hanging out in the park in Oregon, but the style of his hair reminded David of those Emo demotivationals he saw on the internet.

"Nice to meet you all finally. Feel free to call me Alex." he continued, sitting down on David's right side at the table.

"Same here." Evangeline smiled warmly from David's left side. "My name is Evangeline. Across from you is Yukio Hiruma and next to him is Yuri Rowenthal. This guy sitting next to us is David Crowley."

"Pleased to meet you." David replied while nodding, then turned back to his food. David honestly had no real interest in Alex. His head was throbbing painfully, so powerful the pains were, David was amazed that he managed to refrain from cying out in pain at the table. He quietly finished his meal and excused himself.

At first, he acted calm, walked slowly from the Grand Hall and down the hallway towards the Entry Hall, but the first steps outside the castle turned into a desperate run for his life. His mind was reeling from the pain, trying to grasp a hold of the situation, rationalize it all into a normal state of reality, but his pure state of panic overrode any attempt he made. David just kept running blindly as he reached the Northern Woods and kept going beyond the resticted signs. It left like the woods were watching his every move, like ants were coming out every pour in his body, and the headache got worse and worse. Blind from agony, he tumbled through bushes and over rocks, but kept running as fast as he could. There was something out there in front of him, he felt it deep inside his body, like an incessant pulling, begging him to come to it. He was not sure of how he knew it, but the headache would go away when he got there. That kept his feet moving.

It was gone. David collapsed in a breath of relief, tears of pain and torment flowed from his eyes as he covered his face and recovered. He had not noticed before, but he was exhasted. His entire body was shaking violently from the sustained effort, sweat caused his clothes to stick to his skin, and his breath was shallow and ragged. It was several minutes before he was able to get himself into a kneeling position, then several more before he was able to get to his feet, but only with his hands on his knees.

Blinking repeatedly, David looked about to figure out where he was. He was deep in the woods. He could tell immediately by the feeling he got from the trees around him. He was pretty sure that this was the heart of the entire forest on the island. Tall pines surrounded him in a wide clearing filled with short grass and clover. The sky could be seen through the canopy and in the middle of the clearing there was a small structure.

Its design was relatively simply, but somehow, it was one of the most beautiful things David had ever seen. It looked like a wide pond at first. The structure was about thirty feet across and close to thirty feet tall. The outside of the pond was made of collected stones that were piled on top of each other, each stone had a different symbol on it, some of which David recognized. Inside the pond itself, there were similar stonework on the bottom, but small white stones, which looked like Opals, formed interweaving lines back and forth. They made the most complex spell circle David had ever seen, even in his studies of Merlin's works. Two curved wood pillars rose from the pond on each side, forming in incomplete arch. On one side, David saw etchings of stellar constellations and alignments of the sun, while on the other, there were phases of the moon and eliptical glyphs which he could not figure out.

In the middle of these two pillars was a pulsing orb of green simmering light. Small beads of light fell from the orb into the water, which gave it an earthly green glow. There was a very faint sound coming from the magical orb. A high hum mixed with twinkling chime light noises and an unusual sound that sounded almost like a chorus of people holding a beautiful note a song without end. The entire thing left David with a sense of peace, a great feeling of longing that made him sit on the rim and stare into the water.

"This place is called a Well." David started in suprise and fell to the ground, searching wildly for the person who spoke. Whoever this person was, they were good enough to get close enough to him to talk without alerting him, and that meant that he was at their mercy.

The hidden person chuckled lightly, in a fashion that made it hard for him to make out the speakers sex. "I mean you no harm, dear David."

He got to his feet and reached for his wand. It was not in his pocket. David suddenly felt very vulnerable without it. Thinking quickly, he pulled out his boot knife and held it ready. "Show yourself!" he demanded at the shadows in the forests.

The person chuckled again. "You can to us, David. We did not bring you. You are here of your own free will, child." It said 'We', David realized, which meant that the one who spoke was not the only one, and they had him outnumbered. With a sigh, David lowered his guard and tossed his knife blade first into the soft soil. With his hands raised in the air, David hoped it would present him with an opportunity.

"So what does this Well of yours do?" David called out to the trees. "All of those spell circles, I imagine its for a lot more than clean drinking water."

"The Well is a siphon of the celestial bodies surrounding our planet." the voice replied calmly. "With it, we can channel the lifeforce of our heavenly stars through our bodies, purifying us of evils and filling us with the sublime light of unification and love."

"You keep saying 'we'." David replied. "So why is it that I only hear your voice?"

"That is simple, dear David." the voice replied in a voice that told David it was smiling. "I am the elected Voice of the Wood. I speak for everything in our forest. I speak for my brothers and sisters, and through me, they hear and see these events unfolding just like you or me."

David thought about that for a moment before replying. "So you guys can share thoughts."

"We can share more than that. Memories. Feelings. Emotions. Right now, many are pleased."

David frowned thoughtfully as he listened. "_Pleased_? What for?"

"For it has been a long time since one of your world has come to speak to us." the voice said. "But more than that. Many are happy to see you. You are the result of hopes and dreams of many. Many are glad that you have come to this place."

David dropped his hands and picked up his knife in irritation. "Do not talk as if you know who I am! You are Elves, are you not?"

"But, I do know who you are, for we have met before." the voice replied, sounding almost sad. "We were close quite recently in fact."

David's jaw dropped. "Alexander?"

"I am sorry, but I am not this...Alexander." the voice replied. "Did you not feel our presence, our bond, when we observed your fight with the horror from below?" The Abothydra, David thought, this voice was the presence he felt, the one who spoke to him.

"You are that man from before." David stated.

"I am suprised that you were able to decern that much without training, young one." the voice replied. "Normally, it takes several months of practice in order to feel the presence of our brethren."

David's entire body stiffened as a revelation hit him. "That's...impossible." The voice chuckled again and David heard footsteps as the person approached him. His knife fell from his limp hand and stuck into the ground once more as David just stood there in shock.

"The headache that brought you to this place. Your unusual talent to learn and adapt. The color of your eyes." the man approaching him from behind said in a calming voice. "You did several things, all on your own, that started a chain reaction that brought you here, to this place, a sanctuary for our kind."

"No. It's impossible." David replied again.

"It started when you learned our language. It was easy, was it not?" the man wondered. David hated to admit to himself that it had been incredible easy to learn the language. "Then, when you discovered spell circles, it opened yet another door. Spell circles are the original form of all magic, the route, the source. Then, when you summoned that magnificent blade, Leyna'athas, it pushed you deeper. But, for a youth such as yourself to develop as fast as you have, it was puttng your life in danger, so I was forced to aid you by breaking the final door to your power. Since then, you've been hemoragging power constantly without even realizing that you are. The amount of power you are using is what is allowing the Dark Master into your mind. Yet still, you waste power. The headache was your own doing. You reached the bottom of your well, you used it all without realizing it."

"And how do I get the headache to stop?" David wondered.

"This place helps that. It has been constantly supplying you with the energy you need, but your constant wasting must come to an end, David." the voice said, right behind him. "And we are here to help you with that."

"So, you're saying, that I am an Elf?" David croaked dryly, the words barely escaping.

"Mostly. Your father is an elf." the voice said. David was thunderstuck and nearly passed out standing, but strong hands held him. Angry, he turned and swatted them away, only almost immediately pass out again from shock. David stood there, wide eyed, arms hanging limply at his sides. A single stream of tears seeped from the corner of his left eye as his voice struggled to find the words needed. Only one word came to mind.

"Father?"


	15. Chapter 15

David stood there in shock as he stared at the familiar face that he had not seen since he was a small child. The long brown hair that David had inherited, the eyes the color of honey, the kind smile that David saw in the mirror so often. The entire fact that his father was here facinated him, yet made him incredibly angry. David had been angry before, but this rage that built up inside was more than any David had ever felt. His entire body burned with it, the pain of betrayal and rage filled his muscles. He was so angry that he no longer saw what was in front of him, and nearly stuck when a calm hand held his shoulder.

"Calm down, my son." His father comforted him. Reason returned to him, but he was still filled with the rage. David spun around and drove his fist into his father's jaw with all the strength he could muster. His father's head snapped to the side, but made no further movement. Slowly, his father looked back at David, and the expression on his face drained all of David's anger. His father was calmly standing there, but in his eyes, David could see a deep sorrow.

"David, some thing is happening to the world as we know it." His father said, calmly. "People are dying. Wars and conflicts are breaking out more than they have in hundreds of years. The natural disasters, the tsunamis, the earthquakes, the heavy rains. They are only the beginning. Tell me, my son, do you know of the wizard they call, He Who Must Not Be Named?"

"Yes." David admitted. "Everyone knows about him."

"Well, He Who Must Not Be Named was only the beginning. He was the first pebble to fall, to begin a chain reaction that none alive can determine. He started the path, and now we are all following it to the destination."

"What's the destination?"

"The end." His father said. "Armageddon. The Apocalypse."

"The End of the World..." David said, hardly believing what was happening. "How do you know?"

"Riddles within riddles, scattered through scrolls and tablets, many in dead languages. Prophecies, as you might say."

"If you knew it was coming, why didn't you do anything about it? Why didn't you try to stop it?" David wondered, his voice barely a whisper as he kept his teeth clenched.

"We did the only thing we could do, David. You. You, my son, are the only child who fits into all three worlds. Born of both bloodlines, raised amongst humans, taken in my wizards and trained to tap into your magic. Now, it falls upon me to teach you your birthright."

David stood there silently, watching his father as he stared at David. It was so long ago, but suddenly everything his father did was so familiar. He saw it in the mirror so often. There was no doubt that this man was his father, but the realization only made him angrier. Angry for leaving, abandoning him, making his life a hell on earth. Then there was the issue of his mother. The question was on the tip of his tongue, but he held it back, despite his curiousity. There was something else.

"Dad, what is your name?" David asked. The questioned seemed to suprise his father, who faltered a bit before replying.

"Nathaniel." his father replied, his head tilting to the side.

"Nathaniel." David repeated while nodding. "Well, Nathaniel, I have some bad news for you."

"David, wait. Listen-"

"No, you listen." David snapped, cutting his father off. "What makes you think you can just walk back into my life and expect everything to be fine? What gives you the right to use my life in this way?"

"It was the only way to stop the Apocalypse." Nathaniel replied hastily.

"Bullshit!" David hollared. "That bullshit and you know it! According to you, the end is still coming, yet by leaving me as a child, you were somehow preventing it. Did I forget anything?"

"That is not entirely correct. There was no way for us to prevent the end that was coming, dear David." His father corrected calmly, giving David the small smile that seemed so familiar.

"So what, I am some hero destined to save the world then?"

"No. This is not the time to get so conceited, my son." Nathaniel chastised. "But you are one of the Key members who can tilt the scales in our favor. Even if you try your hardest, we may still lose."

David ran his fingers through his hair as he stolled around a bit in thought. "Tip the scales how exactly?" Nathaniel walked over to the Well and circled a finger across its mirror like surface.

"There are battles that must be won." Nathaniel replied, looking back to David. "Those battles are over knowledge, or over items. Sometimes even over strategic locations. We will not be able to get them all, but the nature and quality of those items will determine the winner."

"So even if we win more, if they have one of higher quality, we can still lose." David thought aloud.

"They are called Keys. You are the first. Whoever can influence you the most, gain control of your actions, so to speak, gets a small advantage over the rest of the Keys."

"Gylel'drazi." David murmured. Nathaniel flinched and released his breath from his slight wince. David felt panic creeping into him, like a smothering hand around his mouth and nose, restricting his breath as he tried to inhale. His chest became tight, as if he were trapped in between two immovable objects, which pressed on him from either side. That strange tingle of dread trickled and wove through his spine before finally gripping his brain. Before he realized it, he had drawn his wand in a panic and was pointing it at his father.

"No." he panted, breathing heavily as sweat poured from his very soul.

"David. Calm down." his father beseeched him, searching his eyes. Seeing his father before him, alive and well after all these years, only increased his panic as he began shaking.

"No." David peeped, his head shaking as if he stood naked in a blizzard. His nerves refused to be still, and the primal part of his brain, the part of survival, would not let them. "No." He said again, louder this time. "I won't have it. I won't. It's too much. All of it. I don't want it. Any of it."

"Son, if we do not help you, then _they_ will sooner or later." his father said, speaking as if he were talking David down from a high ledge. David began searching the trees frantically, looking for help, a way out. Something, anything at all, that would allow him to escape. Slowly, his muscles started freezing, like they did in the fight against the Abolthydra, which only made matters much worse, as all reasoning thought fled from David's mind, chased out by the fear and panic that took over. He was trapped in his own mind, screaming and clawing at the walls. His vision watered and tears flowed freely from his eyes, screaming silently with all his might. No sound came out. The longer it went on, the worse his mental condition got.

"David. David! Listen to me!" His father called out to unhearing ears. "David, you need to calm down. You hear me? Calm down! HEY!" Finally, his father slapped him across the face in an attempt to bring him from his stupor. In his madness, David barely felt its biting sting on his flesh, but the power of his wand exploded through his mental barrier, tore through every emotion David had and turned it all into pure, unharnassable rage. It did not like being held captive. Watching his eyes, the seething rage that glowed within them, Nathaniel flattered then blanched as David's muscles slowed clenched. David gave himself to it, his rage. He did not know it, but his fear made the choice in what he saw as a beacon of light, and he leapt head over heels into the abyssal depths.

He felt himself tap into something. It felt like he had been only drinking from a small trickle of a stream and was offered a vast freshwater lake without end. It felt like a color, David noted in the back of his mind. It was like white. It was pure, uniform, without border or depth. It was like he was chained to a comet, a white hot comet that pelted his senses with shards of frozen ice, being hurled through time and space as speeds beyond his human understanding.

David found something.

It was a simple as shrugging his shoulders, but with a mental push. The barrier around him dissolved like a pile of sticks before the fury of a hurricane. The force of his push blew it off him and ripped through the trees, stripping them free of leaf and bark. The power washed over Nathaniel like water, crashing into an invisible barrier and passing him by. Part of David returned, but had no control. He was only vaguely aware of his surroundings, concious enough only to note what was going on. The feeling in him was familiar. It was partly the magic he felt from his wand, the burning hot power of it, but it was also the cold depths of that strange power revealed to him by his father. They were one, combined into something David could not define or register entirely. Like his soul was staring into the sun and trying to tell the blindness what it looked like. Impossible to properly define without true justice.

Distantly, David watched as he strolled into the Well and stood in the middle of its pool. Light cascaded through his body and he felt it fill him. It was refreshing, like he had been thirsty all his life and had not realized it until he began to drink. A smile spread across his face as the small beads of light splashed across his skin sending small tingles of joy and elation through his body where they touched. Time meant nothing. Then, it felt like everything was pulled itself back inside his body. His mind jolted back as the power left him standing in the middle of the Well in a state of confusion. He remembered what happened like he would a dream. The only thing that told him it had all been real was something different in his mind. Nathaniel slipped David's wand from his hand and he felt half of the power slide away.

Reality snapped back into place and David realized that something was different. It felt like a part of him had been locked away, and now it refused to be chained back into place, always there at the ready. Like having a second set of muscles, David could flex and control his inner magic, and even more noticable was that he could prevent it from leaking out like before. David had to look at his reflection in the surface of the water to make sure nothing had changed.

"You are a very rare person, David Crowley." his father said, warningly. David had nearly forgotten that his father was there.

"What do you mean?" he wondered without looking away from his reflection in that water.

"How is it that you knew what to do without instruction?" David's eyebrows drew together in thought.

"I don't know." David admitted. "Instinct."

"Yet what you just did is something that has to be taught to any member of our race. They normally have many years to prepare for their Reunion."

"You wouldn't know a Jenova, would you?" David wondered with a smirk.

"No. Why do you ask?" David groaned on the inside. He did not realize that they were this out of touch with society. Or was it just not common knowledge?

"What Reunion?" David wondered, playing his father's game.

"What do you think is different between Elves and Humans?" Nathaniel wondered.

"Pointy ears and tights?"

"Tight what." David's head slumped forward, this time he could not contain the groan. When he looked at his father, he realized he looked nothing like the storybook Elf he had read about in fantasy novels. There were no pointy ears for one, and their clothes looked to be made out of supple light leather and materials gathered from the forests, like leaves and vines. Nathaniel was bare-foot, and his features were indeed regal, almost elegant. Otherwize, his father looked completely human.

Smiling at David's curiousity, Nathaniel began giving him the answers. "The Well is what makes use Elves. When we are born, we are washed in these waters, infused with the magic of the pond. Its continued use is what alters us into Elves, eventually altering our lifespan like the folklore. For instance, if you started to come here, once a year, and cleaned your skin in these waters, in a few years, you would no longer age again for as long as you came to this Well. But is a regular human found this pond, it would do nothing for them since they were not bathed in it as a child in the first place. You following me so far, son?"

"Yeah, I think I get it so far."

"You were also bathed here as a child, David. But, with you, we were forced to give you to the humans. This way, the wizards would accept your enrollment and train you as a wizard."

"How did you manage that?" David wondered. He had always thought the Wizarding World was very through about their student selection.

"You would have your mother to thank for that." Nathaniel replied. "She was a witch."

"Was." David noted. There was no mistaking the instant of gut twisting pain that flashed across his father's face.

"Yes. When she died, it was decided that you would be the child given to the humans." Nathaniel said with a slight grimace. "Please do not ask me, David. Maybe someday, but that day is not today." David closed his mouth. He was about to ask how his mother had died, but it was apparently in such a fashion that David no longer wanted to know.

"Moving on." Nathaniel cleared his throat. "Another thing that makes us Elves is our ability to channel Mana. Do you know what Mana is? It is the lifeforce of things around us. We can channel through us the essence of the sun and stars, of the trees, the rivers, even the animals in the forest. To do so takes a very intimate knowledge about the balance of nature, otherwise the consequences of these actions can be catastrophic. This wand somehow allows you to constantly absorb a bit of nature's latent energy and store in within your body. I do not understand how that is possible or anything about its construction, but whoever made it had very in depth information about our race." David stiffened suddenly. Something felt wrong about the air. His reaction was dramatic that his father saw it and immediately stopped talking, frowning in confusion.

"I have to go." David announced, looking around for any threat.

"But, David, we need to start you training." Nathaniel implored. David ignored him as he walked into the center of the clearing in order to get the best view. He saw nothing, but his instincts were running wild. He abruptly stopped when he faced a certain direction. South. Towards the castle. He did not know how he knew it, but something was wrong at the castle. David was still fast, but he had gotten used to be so much faster, so he flooded his legs with magic and ran as fast as he could. The trip leaving the forest was different. He was not paying attention when he ran in, so nothing looked familiar, and to make matters worse, the forest itself was not going to allow him to leave. He dove through reaching finger like vines, over tripping roots and snaring shurbs, and ducked under branches that moved much like any living animal. Breathing heavily, blood oozing from scrapes that covered his body, David finally emerged from the forest and out into the open plains and meadows. He stopped to catch his breath and placed his hands at his hips. He forgot his wand.

The realization was simple and easy. His father still had it when he left. But the thought took the energy from him much like a punch in the gut as he doubled over in dread, chastizing himself for being so careless. He looked back at the woods, mind racing. Would he run back and retrieve it? No. He did not have time. Something was telling him that he was cutting it close as it was. But what would he do for classes, he wondered. The answer was simple, if not extremely difficult, if not impossible. He would make a fake wand for himself, he concluded. And in classes, if he was asked to perform a spell, he had to hope that he could mask his sudden weakness, maybe he would draw a spell circle.

David drew his knife and picked up a sizeable tree limb as he ran. He cut his fingers a few times, one time badly enough to get him to stop in order to bandage it, but he whittled himself a replica of his wand from his memories, complete with the runes as best as he could create them. His own blood had dyed to outside of the wand, giving it a red tinge remarkably close to the original. He was far from satified with his work, but he slid it into his pocket anyway.

When he finally reached the castle, he did not stop for anything. He burst through the large ornate doors with enough power to jolt the hinges. The people he past cried out in surprise at the blur that swept past them. He crashed through Arthogate's painting, knocking aside two students on the other side as he emerged and sprinted up the stairs.

"In my room?" He through aloud, trying to sort out the feeling he was getting. Sure enough, it led him all the way to the top floor and he entered his room in a fury. It was empty. He raced about each room looking for the cause of his concern. He knew no one had come in, the pencil lead he slid into the hinges had cracked upon opening, like they should have. So somehow, once again, someone had entered his room by another path. He turned around twice in his room and ran his fingers through his hair in annoyance. He was about to thing himself sane when he looked down the hallway into his library. There were rows upon rows of mutlicolored books of various sizes, but David remembered the exact place of each and every book on those shelves. One was missing. There was a huge empty hole in the middle of a low shelf, the thin layer of dust had been disturbed as it was pulled out. His mind flew through the short list of things that book could contain. His brow furrowed in confusion when he remembered which book it was.

It was an ancient book, maybe a few hundred years old, about Oasis Island and the founding of Trinity Academy of Sorcery and Enchantment. He had procured it to sate his curiousity about Oasis. The book actually contained little useful knowledge to him that had not been included in the History book provided by the school, _A History of Magic:_ _Trinity Academy_ by Bathilda Bagshot, he recalled. The only thing that had interested him was that the entirety of the city, Oasis, was once a part of Oasis Island before they separated. The ruins inside Oasis Island were actually the abandoned remains of what was left of the original city, which had filled the entire cavern in which Oasis resided.

David stood and returned to his room, facing the mirror that Professor Merlin had given him. He had seen the Assistant Headmaster enter his room undetected many times through that mirror. He stomach clenched at the possibilities. The betrayal quickly turned into white hot fury. He strode confidently toward the mirror. If he was wrong, then he would be embarrassed as he walked into his wall, but he figured it was worth a shot. As he approached, he held his breath and clenched his eyes shut, expecting an impact, but simply kept walking. When he opened his eyes, he was in an unfamiliar room. It was quite large but cramped with books and countless scrolls facinated David. There were devices that David had only read about and many more that he had never even heard of.

David spun as he heard a male voice speak from the fireplace. "Diagonally." There was a poof of arid smoke, but when it cleared, there was no one left. It had not been the Professor, David knew. The voice was much younger than that, someone around his age. He was sure that this was the person responsible for the Abolthydra and it was also the person who stole his book. He approached the fireplace and glanced at a bowl full of powder David did not recognize. He noted the fingermarks on their surface. His eyes narrowed as his mind tried to figure out the jigsaw puzzle before him. He grabbed a handful of powder and threw it into the flames. It created a similar effect as when the theif disappeared.

"Floo Powder." said a nearby painting. David gazed at the face of a familiar man, someone he had seen in newspapers and books about the past century of magic. He took in the flowing purple robes, the long gallant silver hair and beard, the pale blue eyes behind half moon spectacles. His long nose was crooked as though it had been broken a few times, but it not seem to trouble the easy smile and bright eyes of Albus Dumbledore. The picture was many years older than the one he had seen in the newspaper, but it was definately the same man.

"I beg your pardon?" David asked.

"That, my young friend, is called Floo Powder." Dumbledore smiled. "I saw how you figured out how it works by yourself. An extremely intelligent youth, very rare indeed."

"Um, Professor Dumbledore, may I ask you a question?" David wondered, peering at the flames again.

"You have just asked me a question, but you are free to ask another if you wish." Dumbledore replied calmly.

"Does it hurt?" David wondered, gesturing to the flames. Dumbledore's eyebrows came up, making it hard for David to figure out whether the man was surprised or delighted as a small smile came to the thin face.

"No, I am very pleased to say that it does not." Dumbledore bowed slightly. "Tickles actually. Alas, I do sometimes miss the sensation." He seemed to sigh. David grabbed a handful of the Floo Powder and stepped into the flames. It did tickle slightly, almost enough to make him laugh as he dropped the powder and repeated what he had heard. "Diagon Alley." Then, he was gone.

Merlin stepped into the visible realm and peered into the smoke, then back at the picture of Dumbledore.

"That boy is intelligent, I daresay more so than I was at his age." Dumbledore acknowledged. "But he is being extremely foolish. Likes to take risks does he?"

"You meet the type?" Merlin wondered with a smile. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily as the smile returned. "Indeed, I have. Did the boy say 'diagonally'?" Merlin's brow furrowed in worry. "Oh dear." said Dumbledore.


	16. Chapter 16

David was spinning so fast he lost sense of which direction was which. He saw glimpses of places as they flew past him, but they went by so quickly he did not have the chance to identify them correctly. David clenched his mouth tightly, feeling ill on the verge of throwing up. Finally, he popped back into reality, crashing to the ground and rolling across a fine wood floor, dust covering him from head to toe.

"Merlin's beard!" exclaimed a bald old man wearing a pink flowery apron. "You took quite a tumble there, boy. Lost, eh?" David looked around the grimy looking bar, which was dark and slightly shabby. People were watching him as the bartender helped him to his feet

"Where the hell am I?" David mumbled, still slightly off balance.

"Why, you're in the Leaky Cauldron o' course." the bartender replied with a smile. "Name's Tom. What's your name?" David shook his head, trying to get his bearings right. "David." he managed to mumble as he was sat down at the bar. Tom walked around the bar and fetched him a glass of water as David swayed slightly in his stool.

"So where exactly is the Leaky Cauldron, sir?" David wondered. "Somewhere in Oasis?" He guess that due to the unusual dress of the patrons, that he was in a magical community away from Trinity Academy.

"Oasis? Ne'er heard of it. You really are lost." Tom replied, studying his face. "You're a little to young to be wandering around these parts this time of year. Why aren't you at Hogwarts?" David stiffened. He knew of Hogwarts, read about it in A History of Magic and in the Biography of Harry Potter. Hogwarts was in Great Britiain, and David was no longer in the New World.

"Where you say you were from?" Tom wondered.

"The New World. I go to Trinity Academy." David replied, starting to feel anxious. He had no idea where he was, and did not see anyone nearby that looked to be wearing the cloak belonging to the thief.

"Sir, do you know what 'Diagonally' is?" David wondered. "I thought it meant to direction, but apparently I misunderstood how Floo Powder works."

"You mean Diagon Alley? You're already here, son." Tom replied, seeming to think that David was getting crazier and crazier. David was stone still. How had he not realized it before. Diagon Alley was a place in London. He remembered a few things about it in his books and from his short time with Grublock the Gringotts goblin. David checked his pocket. He had left his money pouch in his room, in a safely hidden place, so he only had a few Galleons and a handful of silver Sickles. Would it be enough to get home?

"Thanks." David said, after he finished the offered water. "So, where is Diagon Alley exactly." Tom took the glass then looked past David to a man sitting in a booth.

"Oi, Ron." Tom called out. "You're going back to Flourish and Blotts, right? Mind a bit of company? This boy's lost." A tall lanky man with long flaming red hair turned to appraise David as he stood there covered in dust. Ron was a handsome man, David thought to himself. Someone who girls would gather around given the opportunity, but the light freckles would probably put them off a bit. He seemed athletic by the way he carried himself, but the look in his eyes told David that Ron had seen somethings in his life that most wizards never encountered.

"What do I look like?" Ron replied with a sigh.

"Just take him with you to see Harry." Tom replied.

"What for?" Ron wondered.

"You ever hear of a place called New World or Oasis?" Tom wondered.

"Well, no. Harry don't know anything about that either though." Ron protested.

"That may be true, but I was thinking that your lady friend, Ms. Granger would know a thing or two about it." That seemed to shut Ron up as he stood up and beckoned for David to follow him through the back door into a small alley that was behind the bar. David had a funny feeling he knew who Ron was as he watched him walk up to a garbage can, then draw a wand. He counted bricks and tapped the third brick from the left above the trash can three times.

"Up three, two across." Ron said with a wink and a smile. The brick Ron tapped wiggled in place then slid back making a hole that grew wider and wider until it revealed a large archway close to twenty feet tall. Now they were on a cobbled street that twisted and turned back and forth through tightly packed stores that twisted out of sight.

"It's just up the road there." Ron said, leading the way.

"There's only the one road to follow, isn't there?" David wondered, looking around in wonder. Ron stumbled as he began laughing unexpectedly.

"Good point." Ron replied when he recovered. "You remind me alot of my friend, Harry. You'll like him." David wished he had more eyes as he looked about Diagon Alley. Oasis had been impressive in its sights and sounds, but Diagon Alley was impressive by its people and the shops that they passed. Signs and decorations called out sales and bargains as they passed them buy. David spotted the broomstick shop, but found himself uninterested. He liked staying on the ground. Books were more of his things than aero-acrobatics on a broomstick. They reached a fork in the road, where thousands of signs indicted which shops were in which direction, and on the opposite corner was the largest book store David had ever seen. He wished he had his money pouch.

Ron walked in without hesitation and began searching the aisles for his two friends. They had to have search a few hundred rows of books before Ron began calling out to them in irritation. "Harry? Hermione?" David choked as he inhaled his own spit in surprise and began coughed raggedly. Harry. Ron. Hermione Granger. David knew those names. David was following Ron Weasley, one of Harry Potter's best friends. Ron was a hero himself now, having helped Harry save the world, but here he was looking around and acting like everybody else.

"Shouldn't you be more...composed?" David wondered. Ron looked back at him in confusion. "What are you going on about?" David scratched his neck before replying.

"Well, I just thought that you, being a hero and all, would be more...i don't know...extraordinary. You seem really...normal." David admitted. Ron smiled and continued searching for his friends as he spoke.

"I'm not any different than any other person you have ever met." Ron replied. "In fact, it's one of my worst traits, being absolutely normal at almost everything. Not quite what you expected, is it."

"Well, no." David admitted. He could not remember if he had even ever saw a picture of Ron before.

"Let me tell you something, mate." Ron stopped and faced David. "I don't care what the books and stories say. It was all terrible. We were scared, we were running. We had no freakin' idea what we were doing. Stories have a way of omitting that."

"But, it's the journey that makes it important, not the destination." Ron said with a knowing frown.

"You got that from me, you little thief." a female voice said from behind them.

"Well," Ron said sheepishly with a half shrug. "It's a great line." David turned to take his first look at the woman known as Hermione Granger, known to be highly intelligent and Harry Potter's other best friend. She was pretty with thick bushy brown hair that swept around her shoulders, but matched her eyes. When she smiled at Ron, her teeth were straight and white, enhancing the sparkle in her eyes. She was closer to David's height, he realized, but she said to be very resourceful. David just stared at her in surprise until she giggled and pushed his shoulder slightly.

"Hermione, this is David. Old Tom over in the Leaky Cauldron thought you ought to be able to help this one. Says he's lost." Ron explained.

"Hello David." Hermione replied nicely, then turned fiery as she looked back at Ron. "So, Ron. Why were you in the Leaky Cauldron while Harry and I did all of the shopping? Weren't you supposed to be getting supplies?" Ron seemed to shrink in the sight of her quiet rage.

"I only stopped for a pint, Hermione, I promise." Ron replied.

"So why is it that you don't have any bags with you?" She asked cooly, and eyebrow arching threateningly. Ron rambled senselessly as he seemed to come up with a response, but Hermione simply let out a long sigh then smiled at him instead.

"What am I going to do with you? Really." she said. Ron seemed to let go of the breath that he was holding and sat down to relax. "Where's Harry?" he asked as he slouched back.

"Right here, Ron." Harry replied, stepping out from a bookcase, grinning ear to ear.

"You filthy git! Where you there the entire time?" Ron exclaimed. Harry laughed before replying. "Not entirely. I arrived just in time to watch Hermione bring you down a notch or two." Harry turned his attention to David, who stood staring at Harry Potter in mild wonder.

"Hello." Harry said with a nod. "What's your name then?"

"David Crowley." David replied, shaking Harry's offered hand with a small smile.

"Nice to meet you." Harry answered. He looked at Hermione and Ron. "What's goin' on?"

"David is apparently lost." Hermione explained. "The bartender at the Leaky Cauldron thought I might be able to help him apparently."

"That's odd." Harry agreed. "You from Hogwarts, David?"

"No, the robes are all wrong." Hermione replied.

"Slytherin, maybe?" Ron offered. "Those blokes never did like to obey the rules."

"Neither did we." Harry reminded him. "No. You can tell by looking at him he isn't a part of that lot. Where you from David?" David, having been slightly lost at what they were talking about, was glad to be asked a question he could answer.

"I am from the New World. I came here by Floo Powder from Trinity Academy by mistake." David answered.

"New World? Where's that?" Harry asked.

"In America." Hermione replied, matter of factly. "But, unfortunately, I've never heard about Trinity Academy before. Must be their school?"

"Blimey. Never thought I would run into one of that sort." Ron said, sinking into the chair. "Supposed to be superhuman, they are. Trained to fight and kill like." They all looked at David as if they expected him to begin tearing the place apart.

"I'm a first year." David replied in his defense.

"Can't be. You're much older than any first year I have ever seen." Ron retorted.

"Schooling in the New World starts at fifteen, with five years instead of seven." Hermione said. Ron gave her an incredulous look. "What? I read about it in a book our fourth year."

"How many books have you read?" Ron asked to himself.

"By Floo Powder then." Harry said, interrupting before Hermione had a chance to continue the conversation. "Should be easy enough to find you a way back home.

"Floo Powder prices are outrageous." Ron replied. "What about Apparation?"

"No good." Hermione instantly replied. "Trinity Academy has an anti-Apparation barrier like Hogwarts." Ron swore and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What about an Elixir of Teleportation?" David asked, somewhat timidly. The three of them looked at him incrediously.

"That's a seventh year potion. How did you hear about that?" Hermione wondered.

"I grabbed a few copied of advanced curriculum from the library." David replied. "You know, sometimes its nice to have a bit of light reading in between classes."

Ron groaned. "Oh dear, he's just like Hermione. Their definition of 'light reading' is all screwy."

"Quiet, Ron." Harry said warningly. Hermione threw Ron a dirty look before looking at the book shelves to figure out what section they were in.

"First floor, third row in from the left statue." David offered. Once again, three surprised faces turn to stare at him. "I, uh, I saw the layout on the way in." He said sheepishly. "The Potions section was down there. But there really is no need."

"Why not? This potion was your idea." Ron wondered, sitting up again.

"Do any of you have a pen and paper?" David asked. Hermione reached into a beaded bag and pulled out a fresh roll of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of Spellerbie's Unspillable, Non-Drip Writing Ink. David took the items and sat down at a reading desk and started writing from memories. Hermione stood over his shoulder, making comments to herself, mostly affirming the potions validity, while Harry and Ron just waited and watched. When David was finished, he returned the cap on the ink, and handed Hermione the roll of parchment.

"This potion looks like it will be difficult to make." Hermione said, reading it over a second time.

"Bloody hell. No chance his copy was owned by Snape, I s'pose." Ron replied ruefully. Hermione gave him a look that David could not describe and a wave of uneasy came and went quickly.

"Anyway." Harry said, stepping forward. "Do we have everything we need to make it?"

"We should have everything required, but it takes a week to brew it properly." Hermione sighed. "Well, David, unless you can think of another way, then you are stuck here for a week."

"What about school?" David wondered.

"Just send them an owl." Ron replied. "Maybe they'll know of a way to get you back faster. Probably stick you straight on a train."

"Doubtful." David replied with a sigh. "Trinity Academy is a castle on Oasis Island, which is high is the sky, floating freely in an eliptical pattern throughout the New World, and only touches land once a year. The holidays were coming up, and loads of students were going home, but I wanted to stay, so I never figured to ask how they were going to do it."

"The entire school is up in the air?" Harry asked. "What, the entire school under an anti-gravational charm?"

"Not quite." Hermione replied. "Magic like that has to be built into the structure for it to work. I never imagined that it would effect an entire island. Doesn't seem possible really."

"Alright. Let's continue this later. We're late already." Harry said before either could continue.

"What 'bout him?" Ron wondered, gesturing to David.

"I don't see a problem with letting him tag along, do you?" Harry asked him. Ron shrugged before getting back to his feet. Hermione waved her wand and all of their belongings returned to her beaded bag as they headed off. David felt a pang of regret when he remembered that he had forgotten his wand, but it quickly dissolved when they left the shop. Everyone seemed to smile when they saw Harry Potter. Many of them ran up to shake his hand, some of them cheered as he passed. It struck David once again that he was in the presence of someone who had saved the entire Wizarding World from the terrible Voldemort. David remembered clearly how the expressions on people's faces instantly withered whenever David said the name, insisting that he call him You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He never really listened.

People liked to stare. David felt self concious as people looked at him in confusion. They all knew who Ron and Hermione were. David wondered if there was a single person in the Wizarding World who did not know their name, let alone what they had done. But, seeing David, a young man wearing an unusual uniform who they did not recognize walking along side such iconic figures made people curious. David looked down at his school clothes. He had never really given them much thought when they had been given to him, all folded up neatly at the foot of his bed one day.

It was basically a black dress shirt, but each was slightly different based on the students preference. Professor Merlin had said that the house elfs made them for the students after observing what they seemed to prefer. David's had a low cut collar and found silvery buttons. David's shirt was several inches longer than anyone else's at school, and had a swallow tail in the back like a suit jacket. On the hem of the shirt and the sleeve, there was a section of fabric of a different color than the rest of the shirt. This section was what identified what class the student belonged to.

David's was a nice rich green like all of Elden Crest. On his right shoulder, there were several thin stripes of the same color. The first was vertical over the shoulder, the second was diagonal from his armpit to his collar, and the third was horizontal across the right side of his chest. These were in place for pins and badges that the student needed to display. He remembered that the Captain of Quidditch, and the Seekers from both Quidditch and Naedalance wore pins, and the Head Boy wore a badge. David had no such markings, as his position in Naedalance was kept secret.

On his right shoudler, in bright white that contrasted against the black fabric was the symbol for the first years. A simple horizontal line. Since it was getting colder, the shirt was made of a heavier fabric and had long sleeves, but the previous shirt was thinner and had short sleeves and now sat in a drawer back in his room. Silver cross-shaped metal pins on the collar and on the sleeves were the symbol of Trinity Academy.

That shirt, plus the face he wore black jeans and a pair of leather boots instead of school robes drew more attention that David was used to. He twisted his leg in his boot to make sure the knife was still there, as was his habit. He felt incredibly vulnerable without his wand, he thought ruefully, scowling at the twing in his pocket.

People would not stop interupting their progress down Diagon Alley. A small man with a squeaky voice stepped out to shake Harry's hand, and seeming to recognize him, Harry and the small man enjoyed a small chat while Hermione and Ron has a small conversation of to the side. David felt strangely by himself. It was different without Evangeline's presence or the loyal backup of Snow, both of whom must be going mad searching for him throughout the castle. Feeling left out, David turned to face a newspaper with a picture of several men snarling at him viciously.

**Death Eaters Captured!**

"What's a Death Eater?" David wondered, forgetting where he was and spoke aloud. The entire Alley within ear shot grew silent. Harry looked about and took David by his elbow, leading him aside to talk, Ron and Hermione trailing closely behind.

"Death Eaters are the followers of Voldemort." Harry replied quietly. David's eyes grew wide.

"They're still around?" he wondered. "I would have thought they would have captured them all by now." Ron shook his head before saying, "Just too many of them, mate. No clue how many there really were to begin with."

"But, what would they do now that he is gone?"

"They continue as they always had. Following his beliefs, attacking Muggles and such. All the ones who are captured believe that they will be released when Voldemort returns." Harry replied. David could not help that Ron flinched everytime Harry said Voldemort's name, earning him a small nudge from Hermione.

"Comes back? He's dead, isn't he?"

"Very." Harry affirmed. "But, he came back once before through the magic of the Horcrux, and we eliminated that option before the deed was done."

"It's mad, isn't it?" Ron smirked.

"I don't think you should talk about Horcruxes in the open, Harry." Hermione said, looking around cautiously. Harry looked back at her and nodded in agreement. David realized he had just learned something that had never been mentioned in the book, which said nothing about Horcrux, or Death Eaters, or most of anything Harry had mentioned. He had always wondered how it was that Voldemort had returned after death in the first place, and had even begun researching into spells or potions that would reanimated the dead, but David was resolutely sure that the deed was impossible. Dead was dead.

"I guess that explains how You-Know-Who returned." David replied. "The bit of soul attached to the item would suspend death long enough for someone to find a way to restore them."

"You know about them?" Harry wondered.

"Yeah." David replied, a slight bit confused by the tone in Harry's voice. "I read about them in a book I found. It was awfully dark stuff. Can't imagine what it would be like to tear apart your soul in order to gain immortality of that kind."

"A book?" Harry asked, looking over to Hermione.

"Maybe Trinity Academy does not restrict books of that sort." Hermione replied. "We were never able to find one, but that does not mean that there aren't any."

"Yeah. I remember Riddle saying something about reading it in a book when he talked to Slughorn." Harry nodded finally.

"I...didn't get it from the school library." David said, defending his school. He did not like the fact of them thinking anything bad about Trinity Academy.

"So where then?"

"My room is enchanted to deliver books to me that I have an interest in." He explained. "I simply think about what I want, and the next morning, a stack of books about subjects I was interested in show up on my night stand."

"So you took an interest in Horcrux?" Ron wondered, the idea obviously not sitting well with him.

"No." David replied. "It was in a thick leather book. I was curious about the concept of immortality and researched into it. It was a chronicler about all the objects and methods one could go through to achieve immortality, written by hand from a previous researcher, like some sort of diary. It spoke of Nicolas Flamel's Philosopher's Stone, Horcruxes, Unicorn blood, and a few potions had been brewed to achieve the effect."

"Could have used that book back in our first year." Ron grumbled, causing Harry and Hermione to smirk, leaving David clueless, having missed the reference. Ron looked back at David. "So, you just have all these books delivered to your dormitory? House elves must love you."

"What's a House Elf?" David wondered, causing Ron's jaw to drop.

"You remind me of myself a bit." Harry laughed. "Kreacher?" There was a loud pop and a short ugly creature covered in loose wrinkled skin appeared in the middle of thier group. David grimaced at the sight of it and its filthy toga-like cloth.

"Master called?" Kreacher said, his voice making David wince. So far, he did not really like House Elves.

"Sorry Kreacher." Harry said to him. "David did not know what a House Elf was. You may leave." Kreacher bowed low and popped from sight.

"That...was revolting." David cried out.

"Ah, you get used to him." Harry replied.

"Yeah, shoulda met him before he sorted out." Ron commented. "So House Elves then?"

"I doubt it." David replied. "My room is designed to not permit any kind of creature in. Had a bit of a run in with an Abolthydra." Ron and Hermione blanched, while Harry looked at them in confusion.

"Let me guess." Harry said. "The kind of pet that Hagrid would want?"

"Worse." Hermione replied, making Harry's brow raise.

"Quite." David sighed, pulling up his pant leg to show the scar. "Either way, the room itself is designed to suit the occupant. I think it might be something similar to Accio, but I haven't seen any books and scrolls flying about. I read them all, then I decide whether or not to keep them."

"Keep them?" Hermione wondered.

"Yes. I have a small library in near by bedroom where I keep dozens of books for quick reference or a bit of reading." David said. Hermione was beaming until Ron spoke. "You really are like Hermione."

"I'm surprised he even knew about Accio." Harry said just in time to stall Hermione's reply. "I didn't learn that one until our fourth year. Trinity Academy must push you guys really hard."

"Not really." David sighed. "The spells and what not have been too easy and slightly boring so far, so I went ahead on my own. Still have loads of trouble with the Patronus Charm or technical spells like Meteolojinx Recanto. Professor Merlin says its because I use too much power and not enough technique, but no matter how much I try, nothing happens." The three of them looked like David had just proclaimed a wish to dance like a ballerina.

"What?" David wondered, looking at himself cautiously.

"Those are seventh year spells." Hermione replied. "Difficult ones. I'm not surprised you would have a hard time with them."

"Hold on." Ron said angrily. "How do we even know he's telling the truth? Could simply be lying to impress us."

"Let me see your wand." David replied cooly, holding out his hand.

"What for? Use your own!" Ron said back defiantly.

"Forgot it at school." David lied. Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes, then placed her wand in his hand. David examined it with interest for a second before turning away from the three of them and pointing his wand at the sky.

"What spell should I display for you?" David wondered, feigning innocence. He knew he was being extremely arrogant, but his pride refused to let him drop the issue. Ron looked into his eyes and turned his head slightly. Harry seemed interested in seeing what David could do, while Hermione stayed further back.

"Transfiguration?" David wondered, flicking the wand at a nearby water barrel, which warped and morphed into a beautiful arrangement of flowers, making Ron flinch in surprise.

"What about a charm?" David asked again. With a flick, the flowers leapt from the pot and began dancing merrily in a circle. Hermione and Harry laughed merrily at the flowers dancing happily. Even Ron seemed to be coming around.

"Or a Curse maybe?" Flicking the wand a third time, the flowers burst into purple flames. Smiles vanished as the flowers flailed for a few seconds before dropping and burning away.

"Enough." Harry said with finality. David deflated slightly and handed Hermione back her wand. Ron stared at David with an unusual mix of emotions, but quickly stowed them away as Harry wordlessly led the way down Diagon Alley once again. David felt like a complete asshole, but he could not think of anything to say that would make things right. He was starting to feel homesick.


	17. Chapter 17

"Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?" David wondered, looking up at the sign. "A joke shop?" David looked at the crowds of people shuffling through the inside, which looked alot bigger than it was on the outside.

"Close enough." Ron replied, as they entered the building. David looked apprehensively at the thick crowd and felt his pulse increase its pace. Slowly, he closed his eyes and took a calming deep breath through his nose and released it through his mouth. When he felt ready, he opened his eyes and entered the shop. He immediately wanted to turn and leave. It was too crowded. People were brushing and bumping into him constantly, rattling him side to side. On top of that, there was too much activity. The people moving about the shops multiple levels. The bustling shelves of products, which seemed to be showcasing themselves. The noise of the chatter, the people laughing, of the magic fireworks, or pens that screamed curses whenever the user mispelled a word. It was too much for him, and anxiety was building somewhere deep inside him.

Someone ran into him hard enough to push him aside, causing him to collide with a group of young women. He brisked mumbled an apology, managing to get far enough away before closing his eyes and trying to calm himself down. He was feeling very claustraphobic. A frisbee screamed like a banshee as it feel just over his head, causing him to wince and duck down. The movement did not go unnoticed by a few other men, who seemed to direct such objects at him on purpose from then on, seeming to enjoy the rising panic David was struggling to control. Where did Harry, Ron, and Hermione go?

"You 'kay?" a young man asked, shaking David by his shoulder. David spun around at the touch, and was suprised by a tall young man with flaming red hair, who was somewhat handsome except the ghastly wound on the side of his head, which was were he was missing an ear. David winced at the sight of it. Luckily, the man either did not see it, or did not care.

"Yeah." David managed to reply. "I'm not too good around too many people."

"Come with me." the man said, guiding David through the crowd, which seemed to magically part before him, to a small room in the back, nearly hidden by all the merchandise all around it. It was small, but comfortable. It seemed to be soundproof because it was quiet as soon as the man closed the door.

"Better?" the man asked.

"Much. Thank you."

"Don't mention it. George Weasley." he smiled, holding out his hand to shake David's.

"David Crowle-" David was cut short as soon as he shook George's hand, as his entire body convulsed involutarily and archs of electricity tickled his entire body. It immediately stopped when George let go, and was replaced by an odd sense of elation and uncontrolable giggling.

"D'ya like that?" George asked him, removing a ring from his hand. "Got the idea from a Muggle device I saw in London few years back." David somehow did not seem to mind, as the small ring had somehow instantly improved his mood and found his present company quite interesting.

"Well, you seem to be all better now. Let us be on our way. Time is Galleons, after all." George said, pausing slightly after speaking. During that pause, David saw a vast pit of pain that David never thought someone could ever possibly carry. Just then, the door opened, and on the other side was Harry and Ron.

"Visitors!" George cried out, throwing his arms into the air.

"Hello, George." Harry greeted him warmly. Ron said something similar, but it was drowned out by the sound of the store behind. David noticed they both declined to shake George's outstretched hand. It seems they knew each other, and by the flaming red hair, David was inclined to believe older brother to Ron.

"Come to pick this one up, did you?" George wondered, turning to speak to David. "Must be nice, having a hero like Harry looking after you and all. I like him. People say I've got no taste, but I like him."

"How did you-"

"-know he was a friend of yours? Bloke like yourself wasn't the slightest bit suprised when Harry walked in. Figure a person who saved the world would garner a reaction, I reckon."

"George, I'm not a great hero, so stop calling me that." Harry pleaded.

"Don't be so modest, Harry. You're not that great." George said with a smile. Harry smiled back and motioned to David that it was time to go. As he walked out, George placed a hand on David's shoulder and said something very peculiar. "Always remember. Even if you are one in a million, there are six thousand people exactly like you out there." David stared into those eyes as he thought about those words, before nodding and heading after Harry.

David passed through the crowd with mild discomfort as he focused on Harry's back on the way out. Hermione was standing outside when they came back out, and David searched around for anyone else.

"I thought you said that you were meeting people in there." David said.

"We were." Hermione replied.

"They weren't there." Harry added, looking grim.

"So what does that mean?" David wondered, wishing more and more that he was not unarmed.

"It means that they are either horrible late, or they were intercepted." Harry replied.

"Intercepted. By who?"

"Death Eaters." Ron replied, drawing David's attention to the wand in his hand.

"But why? Voldemort's gone."

"Simple really." Hermione replied. "Just because their leader is gone, does not mean they will change who they are and thier ideals. They are the same people they were during the Second Wizarding War as they are now."

"Revenge then." David reasoned.

"In part." Hermione agreed. "But, I think it has more to do with making an example of the one person who stands as the biggest challenge to thier ideals."

"They've been chasing us for three weeks now." Ron added. "Tracking us somehow, but we haven't figured all that out ye-"

"LOOK OUT, RON!" Harry cried out, pushing Ron out of the way as a man in an alley fired a green jet of light from his wand. People appeared from everywhere, close to seven or eight, but fighting broke out and David was forced to leap aside. George, apparently having seen the fight, erupted from his shop with a flurry of spells. Even as fast as he could, David would not have been able to fire off that many spells as fast as George had. But, what suprised him the most was the look of sheer hatred and anger in George's eyes as he attacked the Death Eaters.

"GO!" He yelled. "I'll hold them here." David stretched out his hand and caught a wand as George disarmed someone. It felt foreign in his hands, but he stepped forward and lent George a hand. Harry looked back at them, but green jets of light forced him into a dark alley away from the fighting.

David felt immensely weak. His shield charms broke after a single spell. He could not seem to get any of his spells to hit thier target, firing off angle whenever he tried them. Several times, David was stunned as a jet of green light flew past him, only realizing that it had been cast at the last second. These people with their black hood, the Death Eaters, had no problems killing a boy, David realized. He had read about them, and thier leader, Lord Voldemort, but reading it and actually seeing it before your eyes were two very different things. Fear threatened to grip David's control of himself. He was barely able to mount a defense against his attackers, and he felt like they could sense it. He thought he could feel thier eyes searching him, looking for an opening, a slight margin where they could slip in and do away with him forever. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to run. Turn and run as fast and as hard as his legs would allow. Maybe he could find a boat, or a plane. He could take it back to America and find some way back to school. Things were simple there. Things were easy.

For a moment, David seriously considered running, but George turned just enough so that the light hit the scarred side of his head. If he ran, George would be all alone, he realized, watching him fight. He would never be able to forgive himself if George died. Was he really this much of a coward? Was he always just looking for the easiest path through life? What good would that accomplish him? What did he even want to do with his life? He wanted to live, surely he knew that much, but what else? David lowered his wand for just an instance and a red stream of light hit him in the shoulder, throwing him back, through the shops windows, and into George's merchandise. The sound of people screaming surrounded him, as he realized there were still customers hiding inside the store.

Four Death Eaters were all that was left, and they all focused on George as David struggled to pull himself from amongst the shelving. He pointed at one of the Death Eaters and, fear pulsing through his body, called out the first spell that came to mind.

"REDUCTO!" David yelled. A pulse of power surged down his arm and into the foreign wand. The entire store front exploded outward, showering Diagon Alley with debri as David stepped out.

"Hey!" George yelled at him. "You'll have to pay for that you know!"

"Yeah..." David said distantly. "Put it on my bill." The wand had broken in his hand, cracks ran down the shaft and he could clearly see an obliterated core in the center. He tossed it aside and picked up a piece of window glass.

"Hold them off, would you?" David said, not really asking.

"Hold them...are you mad!" George yelled, as he fired off a new round of spells. David picked up the piece of glass and sliced it through the palm of his hand. He squeezed it and blood surged from his palm and dripped all over the cobblestone pavement. David knelt down, and began to rub his hand into the stones. He winced as dirt and small bits of gravel pierced into his fresh cut, but continued to scrub the ground with his blood.

"You've completely lost it!" George yelled angrily at David, as soon as he saw what was going on. David heard him, but the words did not seem to be in English to him, as hard as he was concentrating. He went in a wide circle around George, cutting himself a few more times when the would became to caked with bloody dirt to bleed anymore. Once he finished the whole circle, David knelt in the middle and stabbed deep into his finger, using the blood to draw the intricate designs and symbols from memory. His hours of studying such spells made it relatively simple to recall, but his head was starting to get foggy. He slouched back and examined his work. Everything was in order. Weakly, he leaned forward, and pressed both of his hands into the Spell Circle.

"IMMOBULUS!" David roared as the spell glowed purple. Light streamed out in all directions, freezing the Death Eaters in place, allowing George to easily restrain them.

"You! Notify the Ministry of Magic!" George yelled at someone who was arriving on the scene. David sat there weakly, not even sure if he was still alive. George ran over to him and helped him to his feet. David was concious long enough to meet a roar of applause as they entered Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, before he descended into darkness.

He was standing in the middle of a pitch blackness with a light gray sky. It was almost like a negative of the real world. He did not recognize the area he was in, but his head were drawn down to white lines drawing themselves on the ground. They made wide, arching, spiraling turns that went back and forth, snaking and weaving together to make seven of the most complicated Spell Circles he had ever scene. They were several times more complex than anything he had seen in Merlin's notes. Then, slow loopy handwriting began writing in between the lines. Equations, measurements, angles, the alighnments of the stars and planets. It just went on and on, one Spell Circle at a time, each with their own unique set of information. And slowly, David noticed that each spell circle, now riddled with writing, resembled runes. Very odd runes that he could not recognize. He looked to reread the information, but it was gone. Not the Spell Circles were gone, leaving only seven runes of bright glowing white. They flashed, then four faintly glowed a green and the other three seemed dim and fade.

His eyes snapped open and he was laying on a bed inside the small room George had led him into. It was dark outside, apparently sometime after midnight, closer to morning than to anything else. He sat up quickly and groaned as it swam and tettered, threatening to make him black out again. He felt weak and noodly from head to toe as he swung his legs over the edge, but realized that they would not be able to hold him properly. The overwhelming sensation of a full bladder, which had probably jolted him away, made him ignore his lack of feeling. For a second, he thought he might have overreacted, but the moment was completely standing, his legs crumbled underneath him, causing him to fall over. Something cracked accross his forehead on the way down and he heard a loud crash as something broke underneath him, poking him painfully. Something warm dripped into his right eye socket as he rolled onto his back. David reached up and pressed his palm against a large bleeding gash on this scalp, just above the hairline. Looking over, he realized that what he had demolished was a wooden endtable, which now had a nice amount of red blood on one of its sides. There were bits of hair on it.

"Fuck." David groaned, wincing as he adjusted his hand in order to try and hold the wound closed. He sat up again and managed to get to his feet once more. He used the wall as a support to move to the door and enter the shop itself.

"George?" David called out. Only silence answered. Panting with effort, David carefully tried to make his way toward the front of the store. He needed something to hold him steady, so he kept falling onto the display racks, accidently toppling several products and trinkets. At one point, David's vision completely blackened and he practically crashed into a shelf, making all of the merchandise cascade off the side onto the floor.

Finally, after a few minutes of searching, David managed to find a small bathroom marked as "toilet". He slid inside and a dim light automatically turned on overhead, allowing him to inspect his wound in the mirror. It was a decent gash, revealing meaty flesh underneath from which a thin steady stream of blood flowed. He tried to wipe some from his right eye, but it smeared more than anything, and was quickly replaced with more. Without a wand, David had no way to mend the wound, so he removed his shirt. Inside the hem, there was a thin metal wire, which helped the shirt maintain its shape. He used his teeth to tear apart the fabric, then pulled on the wire, similar to a loose string, until it was completely out then set it in the sink in front of him.

He needed something else, he realized. He left the bathroom and looked around the shop for anything useful. It took a few minutes of going down each of the aisles until he came across something useful. "New and Improved Fanged Frisbee!", it read. David picked one up carefully, and hundreds of sharp thin fangs erupted from the edges. David remembered seeing one of these in the halls. It would fly at someone and bite them, but the newest version would heal the wounds as soon as the fang was retracted, which made them a lot safer to play with. David gripped one of the fangs and broke it off. The frisbee cried out and shrieked in horrible pain, but David ignored it and made his way back to the bathroom.

Carefully, he slid the wire around the fang tightly, leaned close to the mirror, and began stitching the wound closed. His eye watered every time he was forced to push the sharp fang through his skin, and it was getting slippery in all the blood. What made it harder was the mirror kept commenting about it. "You're making a mess of that, boy." it said, making him jump, as it was the first time it spoke in several minutes. When he jumped, he yanked on the fang and stabbed it through his skin quickly.

"ARGH!" He screamed in pain, gripping the sink in both hands. Curses and threats spilled from his mouth as he tried to stop the tears of anguish. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of torment, David pulled the wire tightly, making sure it was closed tightly enough, and use the fang to cut off the excess length. He picked up his shirt and tore a long strip of its black cloth, and wrapped it around his head as a makeshift bandage, then washed his hands and face as best as he could. When he was finished, David left the restroom and began searching for anything food-like that seemed safe enough to eat without any harmful side effects.

He settled on Chocolate Frogs, Bernie Botts' Every Flavor Jelly Beans, and Green Butterbeer that made you belch green bubbles. However, the throbbing in his head and the relative dizziness took all of the humor out of the situation as he sat there broodingly eating his meager meal in the dark. Where the hell was George? He kept looking around, expecting to see the grinning wizard standing in a far corner watching him in amusement. He took deep drink of the delicious Butterbeer, but paused with the mug still at his mouth. He would not have noticed it before being trained, but something was moving inside the store. Multiple things, with weight and medium light strides, barely audible, even in the silence.

"Okay, George, what the-" David said, as he turned around and saw nothing. "Ha. Nice one. Disillusionment Charm?" As he spoke, he reached out with his hand and caught nothing but air, which threw him into a defensive standpoint. He stepped back a few and wildly searched the area, and his eyes fell on a black puddle on the ground. In the darkness, it was hard to tell what it was, but when he saw two orbs of light form and peer up at him, he no longer cared. Having been seen, the puddle twitched and launched itself at David's face. The impact was suprisingly heavy, as heavy as a person, and threw him through the front shop window. He crashed through the glass and skidded across the cobblestone street, which shredded bits of clothing and skin with each bump.

Fighting was becoming something of a strong point with David, who reacted as best as he could, and rolled to his feet. He was weak from blood loss, but with the surge of adrenaline coursing through him, he would be able to move around a bit at least. The puddle rose up and formed a black polished version of a man with two pins of light for eyes. His entire body ached. The scrapes from the woods, the cuts on his hands, his head, his back, and the many scratches all over his body screamed in agony as he forced it to move. He had no idea what it was, and worse yet, he was unarmed, so he had no choice but to run. He headed the way he knew headed to the Leaky Cauldron, since it was the only place he knew and he was sure that, even though it was night, he was sure there would be a few people to help him. While running, he peered down the alleyways and saw more of those liquid things speeding through the side roads parallel to him. Their speed was frightening. They moved quickly and easily enough that David knew he could not get away. They could easily catch him, but for some reason they just followed him silently.

An unusual screeching roar, like something from a deep Abyss, filled the night air, and one of the building on the side of Diagon Alley erupted into rubble. The tall chimney tilted and slammed onto the road before David. He was too weak for anything fancy, and he did not have the time to climb it safely, so he ran into it, and used it to spin around and swing a leg onto and roll over it. The entire act made him so damned dizzy that he sat momentarily stunned before sliding his feet over the other side and sliding off the other side. He stumbled on landing, his legs giving out beneath him, making him skin across the stone on his hands and knees before he decided to roll and get back up to his feet. His fall had cost him precious seconds and the beasts were not far behind him. They were practically on his heels and he thought he could feel their fingers on his back, spuring him faster. He tasted blood, and licked his bottom lip to discover that he had somehow busted it open.

Breathing heavily, weak and tired, David slowed to a stop. There were dozens of them between him and the Leaky Cauldron, and slowly, he was surrounded on all sides. He sunk slowly to his knees and looked around weerily at them all as they creeped closer. His mind was blank, and he had no idea what to do. Where they going to kill him? No, if they had wanted that they would have killed him earlier. Somewhere inside his head, David gave up and his gaze drifted to the ground. He saw their shadows as they were all around him, and saw their hands reaching out for him.

CRACK! There was a loud burst of light that radiated powerfully in all directions, causing the creatures to cry out and scramble in all directions, melting into the deepest shadows as if they were never there. David slowly turned his heads and saw the pattern of familiar robes standing near him. Powerful, yet somehow frail arms gripped his shoulder and practically lifted him to his feet.

"David, my boy, you look awful." Professor Merlin grinned, looking him over in concern. "Seems you have got yourself a knack for getting into trouble. I would swear that it actually looks for you."

"Good to see you too, Professor." David said, truthfully. "What was that just now?"

"The Patronus Charm works on more than just Dementors, David." Professor Merlin replied. "And some of them are far darker than most wizards can imagine. Now, come, we must be getting you back."

"But, sir, maybe I should-" David protested.

"I will write a letter to Mr. Weasley and compensated him for the damages to his shop. As for Mr. Potter, and his friends, I am afraid they have passed beyond my sight and have gone into hiding, much like they did in the last years of You-Know-Who. Now, come David. We really must be off now." He offered his arm to David, who carefully took it and prepared for the unpleasurable sensation of Apparation. Professor Merlin turned and David was taken along with him, leaving the streets empty with little trace that he had ever been there at all.

_(Dear Readers: I apologize for the lateness of the chapter. I have rewritten this chapter about five times, trying again and again to make it what I wanted, but alas, I am not to great with humor, and George is complex for me to write. It turned out to be a much darker chapter than the humorous bright chapter I had imagined, but thinking back to the story thus far, it is expected. From here on, the chapters will only get darker and darker as we get closer to the end, so I hope none of you are bothered by this. Please feel free to review and comment, or even send me a message, as this entire project is about feedback and learning for me. I hope you all have enjoyed the story thus far. Thank you for reading. ~Jesse Huffman)_


	18. Chapter 18

The following week after David's short disappearance had to be one of the worst week's David had ever experienced. He was under detention, something short of military discipline in the cruelty scale. The sun above him had sunburned most of his skin his first day. He wrapped his school shirt around his head to protect it as he dug. The shovel rubbed his hands raw every day it seemed, but the pain in his hands made his sunburn hurt less. David, however, felt that he deserved it completely. Professor Merlin came by at the end of every day and helped tend to his wounds before lecturing him.

He missed his wand dearly. Every day in class he realized just how great it was even more. He was using one that Professor Merlin provided for him, but it did not feel right in his hand. The only bonus was that it was controllable and made him able to perform spells very easily, but he was having a hard time learning anything new. He would open the books and pour over hundred of spells for hours on end, and found that he remembered them just as easily as before. The problem was in the execution of those spells. Sometimes, he would try out a spell, and instead of it coming to him easily, it normally took him the rest of the night to perform the spell to satisfaction. It felt like a piece of him was missing.

David had put on a little muscle to go along with his dark tan and rough hands in that week. He stood up and shielded his eyes from the sun high in the sky. It was horribly cold today, but the sun was cooking him. His shirt was once again wrapped around his head to try and protect himself from the glare off the snow. It was his job this week to clear the snow from the ground and put it in a piles. Only problem is that the island seemed to have drifted into a northern snowstorm, and it snowed several feet every day, so he was making no progress. Every afternoon after class, David had to come out to the ground and use a pick to shatter through the snow that had frozen solid overnight, which was prone to freezing rain-like fog, then pick up the overlarge bulky snow shovel, and dig until 8 p.m, where a member of the faculty would come and retrieve him for a meal. The constant hard work after a long day of classes had thrashed his body, forcing it to adapt by building muscle.

It would be night soon, David judged, watching the sun as it slowly creeped to the far edge of the island, then start to slide behind it. He had about thirty more minutes of light, he estimated. It was getting darker earlier and earlier now that winter was in full motion. Because they were so high, the days seemed alot longer than they were back in Oregon, but once it was dark it would be too dangerous to remain outside the way he was. David pulled his shirt off his head and proceeded to wipe off the cold sweat that covered his body.

"David!" Someone called to him. David spun around to see Joshua, the team captain sprinting down the stairs towards him.

"Hey, Josh. What's up?" David wondered, spearing the shovel into the snow for a much needed break.

"What are you doing here, you idiot!" Josh yelled, his face turning pink. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" David was stunned. He struggled to recall the last time someone insulted his intelligence.

"Yeah, but...I uh..." David stammered, trying to gather his wits.

"Yeah? And what about it?" Josh wondered.

"But...I can't just leave-" David started before Josh cut him off by grabbing his arm and pulling up the stairs.

"Yes, you can!" Josh said sternly as he led David away. "Detentions do not apply to Naedalance."

"What? How does that work?" David wondered.

"Think about it for a second." Josh growled, releasing David's arm after making sure he would follow. "The players identities are kept a secret, even from most of the staff. Only the Headmaster and Professor Merlin are allowed to know the identity of the players on the teams. If we're short a player, and they realized that you were on detention, then they will realize that it is you, you see? So Naedalance players have special permission to skip out on detention in order for games and training. Didn't you realize that there wasn't anyone watching you?"

"Well, I...uhhh. No, not really." David admitted.

"And you stayed there anyway? What an idiot!" Josh laughed. David felt his ears heat up for a moment before the realization hit him that he was about to play a game of Naedalance and his blood began pumping. The rest of the trip passed quickly and David only paid attention when they began climbing alot of stairs.

"Where are we?" David wondered, looking around. His stomach lurched as he realized he had been out of it for some time, and they had traveled nearly 600 feet in the air up this spiral pillar. It was apparently built into a redwood tree, or, by the looks of it, _grown_ from the tree. He pulled his eyes from the ground and looked around to figure out where he was. He could see the castle in the distance, and used it to judge that he was somehere in the eastern area of the island. He looked up as they ascended the stairs, to the broad leafy branches high above them. Students were climbing the stairs above and below them, ascending the staircase encircling the massive tree and disappearing somewhere high above them. The surrounding tree were quite large themselves, but this one was taller by at least 100 feet or so, which made David's legs shaky as he willed himself up the stairs after Josh, who apparently hadn't heard his question.

As they approached the top, the crowd grew louder and louder until David could hear nothing else but the roar of the crowd above them. It was earsplitting, and David could feel its vibrations in the tree below his feet. It was impossible, he thought. There was nowhere near enough people in the entire school to create such a noise.

They enter the center of the tree and it looked alot more like a normal building that he thought it would. It appeared to be in a giant circle. The inside ring was filled with people selling all sorts of sweet foods and drink, vendors selling merchandise for the team (one style for each of the team members and their codename on the back, Josh yelled), and men taking bets, and people directing people to a corridor. There appeared to be twelve in all, each an overwide staircase leading up to the stadium above. Josh motioned to a small doorway on the wall on the inside ring and they entered the changing rooms.

"Hey, where the hell were you?" Snow called out as he looked up to see who was entering.

"Serving detention." Josh snickered and opened his locker. David smiled shyly and pulled open his locker room and proceeded to pull on his black uniform and leather padding, which made him fell like a ninja of some sort. He pulled up his mask and cracked his neck.

"Here." Someone said, handing him a metal plate. David couldn't tell who it was because of the mask covering their face, but the voice sounded familiar. David noticed that the person had customized the paint on the mask so that the team members would be able to recognize them. David ran over to his locker and found his wand, then looked at his mask. It looked like a hockey mask, he realized. With a laugh, he cut five long vertical slots over the mouth then place it over his face. It fit him like a glove and when he looked in the mirror, it reminded him of a skull. He closed his eyes and pointed the wand at his face. Mentally, he recalled a simple charm, and felt a solid cold sensation wash over his face like ice water. When he opened them again, he couldn't help but smile at the result. His entire mask was as black as his uniform, and only his yellow eyes and white teeth could be seen.

"Crap." David said, staring at his reflection.

"What's up?" Josh wondered, walking up. Josh looked at him and immediately saw the issue. David's yellow eyes stood out even more now that they were surrounded by black.

"I got an idea." Miki said, walking up to them. "Take these." She handed him a pair of aviation googles. "I got them from my Grandpa last week as a gift."

"Miki, I can't take these. They're yours." David protested. She leapt forward and pushed off his mask and hood, and strapped it over his face and eyes.

"I'm not giving them to you, Crowley." Miki sighed, as she used his wand to adjust the eye holes on his mask so that it barely fit over the goggles, then pulled his hood back over his head. David examined himself in the mirror and nearly cried out in surprise at the reflection, which looked nothing short of sinister as there was nothing two black circles surrounded by black leather behind black metal staring back at him, like he was some sort of machine. Josh smiled at Miki, who was looking him over with appreciation.

"Something is missing." She said with finality, turning her head to the side in thought. Someone popped their head in to look. Their mask's eyes were surrounded by black with two straight lines doing straight down, almost like tears. The way the eyes looked, David immediately recognized him as Snow.

"What about this?" Snow wondered, reaching into Josh's locker and pulling out a leather longcoat. Josh shrugged and tossed it to David, who pulled it on. It fit him nicely, and the sleeves went nearly to the middle of his thumb. He fixed his collar and turn to show it off to his teammates, who all broke into wide grins.

"Perfect." Snow smiled, patting Miki and Josh on the shoulder before returning to his locker. David removed his leather shoulderpads and strapped one back on his left shoulder over the coat. Snow, seeing this, smiled and removed his left one so that he had only the right. They slammed their forearm guards together, and even though they couldn't see each others faces, they knew the other was smiling in anticipation.

A loud whistle sounded above them and the cheering grew so loud they could hear it clearly through the ceiling.

"Game time, ladies and gentlemen. Line up." Josh called to them loudly as he wrapped a long black bandana around his head, leaving two long pieces of cloth to hand freely. The lockers slid into the ground and the ceiling parted open just as the floor began to rise. It was shaped like a coliseum, with twelve rectangular areas full of screaming audience members. Banners were flying in the wind and many were dressed in the colors of their favorite team. Black banners and Yellow banners were flying high in the stands. David looked around and realized that it wasn't just the school who came to attention the game. There were people from the town and at least a few hundred that he did not recognize. David turned to ask Josh a question, who ignored it, but glance at him slightly to tell him one thing. He was about to do something that would place them at an disadvantage. After all, the enemy did not know that Josh was the head of their team yet.

"Welcome,ladies and gentlemen!" Said a familiar voice, magically amplified to be a thousand times louder than normal. "Welcome to the first game of the season!" David smiled when he spotted Professor Merlin standing alone in a booth, speaking the the audience.

"Yes yes. Another fine year of Naedalance begins!" he continued merrily. "On the right side of the field, in black, the Elden Crest team!" As Professor Merlin spoke, David noticed a twinkling on Josh's back and saw a number '4' appear in white. David felt his skin tingle in anticipation as the roar roared in approval. David could imagine the scandal involved with a team having two members revealed instead of just one, as this made it harder to identify who was the Seeker out of the two.

"And on the left team, in all yellow, your eight time reigning champions, the Trinity All-Star team!" If David thought the crowd was loud before, it was nothing compared to the sound that erupted as the yellow team rose up onto the field, all waving at the audience and bowing, blowing mock kisses to people. Professor Merlin allowed an appropriate amount of applause before continuing. "Yes, we all look forward to another wonderful season! So, without further delay, let the games begin!" He motioned to a man to his right, who began to beat a huge drum. At this time, David noticed dozens more all around the perimeter of the stands. Every second was puncuated by a resounding boom from all directions that pulsed in David's ears. People in the stands began stomping in tune with it, amplifying it greatly by pumping their fists and calling out at the same time. It was amazing, yet terrifying at the same time. The ground shook with every beat. The leaves seems to shimmer as they whivered from the commotion. It was like the entire stadium shared the same heartbeat.

Several large horns materialized between each of the drums, and the sound they let forth was like an unearthly low cello playing and impossibly long note. It sounded almost like an entire chorus of men sing on long low note that make David's skin crawl.

The center of the stage opened up and two platforms leviated up from the middle. Josh nudged him slightly as the entire team headed forth as one and stood on their platforms, standing a few feet apart, facing each other in a staredown. The platforms raised up high into the sky, and the spectator stands followed after them. They flew into the sky and hovered just above the cloud line, where the two teams drifted apart and lost sight of one another in the misty clouds.

"Is this normal?" David asked Josh, having to call out over the roar of the wind. Josh shook his head solemnly. "This is the first time I have seen this course."

The arena shifted shape from a circle to a long oval. The audience stands were arranged in three rows of threes on either side, a team on either empty end. Near each player, two small orbs formed in front of them into floating eyeballs. David grimaced under his mask as the slimy eyeballs peered at them. As he was about to ask why they were, he noticed large displays, almost like holographic televisions form in front of each of the audience stands.

"They had to be able to watch somehow." Snow yelled to them, as if it had been obvious all along. David might have replied, but his attention was elsewhere. He had noticed them before anyone else on his team had. Pipes. Thousands upon thousands of pipes were growing at an alarming rate, snaking and twisting back and forth in the middle of the arena. It grew bigger and bigger, pipes of all sizes, some so big you could drive a car through them, but always connected. Like a never ending flow of metal. It surrounded the platform before twelve pipes connected in front of them. Three hoops materialized behind them, floating in mid air, about the size of an average holahoop, David realized.

"Guess we'll just stay here then." one of the twins remarked, Night, examining the large metal plate that would serve as his footing.

"If it's all the same to you, that is." the other twin added. David left something then. He reached over to Josh and pulled a pen that was in his pocket. He set it down and it rolled slowly to the right. He swooped it up and tried it again. It rolled faster this time.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" David growled. Everyone who was watching him realized the same thing. The entire arena was rotating slowly to the right. David handed Josh the pen and spit at his feet. It did not land at his feet, but about a foot in front of him.

"What does that mean?" One of his team mates, the Beater Henry Mitchell, judging by the way he held the bat like a baseball bat.

"What's your codename again?" David asked, remembering that they had to refer to each other by these names during the game.

"Ogre." Henry replied.

"Tell me, Ogre, what you would do if the entire playing field was not only rotating to the right, but flipping end over end?" David wondered.

"I don't get what you mean." Henry admitted.

"It means that in a few minutes, not only will this spot be upside down, but it will be on the top of the arena." Snow answered. "So what do we do?" David looked over at the pipes.

"No." One of the chasers cried out. "No way. That's too intense. No no no no no NO."

"I don't like it either." David said, feeling his fear of heights creeping in the back of his mind. "But it's either we enter the playing field, or slide off and fall as we lose our footing. And we don't have much time to decide." David could already see everyone leaning in order to keep their footing, and he was sure the other team was under just as much duress as they were. Not only that, but he was sure that the play clock had already started, and there was not a whole alot of time.

Someone cried out as they lost their footing and slid off the edge of the platform. She scream in horror as she plummeted down, but it stopped instantly as he hit a pole and toppled end over end into the mists below. There was a flash of light and Professor Merlin's voice cried out over the stadium once more, "Freya of the Elden Crest team fell out-of-bounds."

"She was a Chaser." Josh remarked.

Something in David's mind went numb and he turned. He patted Snow on the shoulder as he ran past and leapt over the edge of the platfrom into the stadium below. Wind filled his ears and mist speckled his googles as he fell straight down through the cloud bank. Without warning, he flipped right side up. Seconds later, a pipe zoomed into view and David slammed into it hard, kicking out with his right leg to change his direction, and pushing himself out into the air once again. His head was throbbing from the impact, and he could feel a small patch of blood matting his hair over his right eye underneath the mask. His hood flew open and his air wisped freely in the wind. Seconds after his close call, David saw a curving pipe in his path. It was nearly horizontal with him, yet it turned to the left and leveled off before disappearing behind a maze of pipes that blocked his vision. He opened his arms wides and used them to twisted himself around. His feet contacted the pipe just as they crossed paths and he felt it pushing him, deviating his course, and his weight once again returning to his feet. Balance on the pipe was not difficult, as it was wide enough for him to stand on with ease, but they seemed to be enchanted to be frictionless, and did little to stop his speed.

David cried out in terror when the pipe twisted again and threw him into a tight corkscrew twist that made him extremly dizzy before plummeting downwards at a sharp angle. Three times David had to dodge other pipes as they crossed paths. The first, David had to vault over, doing a quick flip midair so his feet would be under him as he landed. The second was a net of pipes so close together that there was barely any room for David to pass through. He had jump up as high as possible to reach the closest possible opening, which was so small that even as David dived through it, it clipped his shoulders painfully. After several more seconds of travel, David was met by another obstacle, in which he was forced to lay on his back on the pipe. Sparks flew was the metal scraped his mask and marking deep scratches into the glass of his googles, but otherwise he was fine. Each of his close escapes brought two things that gave David strength: Adrenaline and the roars of approval from the audience.

He used the audience stands to judge how far he had traveled in the maze, and realized he was near the center, which was where he believed the Quaffle to be waiting for someone to come take it. David pushed thoughts of taking the ball away and focused them on his task in these games: Taking out members of the other team.

Looking back, he smiled as his assumption proved true, as Snow rocketed by on a nearby pipe, his speed far greater due to the fact that he was streamlining as best as possible with the Chaser Atlas on his heels. David motioned towards the center and Snow nodded in reply. Certain that the Quaffle was in good hands, David reached up and grabbed a pipe just as it flew by. It swung him up into the air for a second before he twisted and got a foot on it. A foot was not enough to regain his balance, as he swayed backwards and fell off. David cursed and caught himself on another pipe further down, which seemed to circle the outside edge of the field. Sliding along, he looked around for some way to get back to where he wanted to be.

"Rapture of Trinity, knocked out of bounds by a superbly hit Bludger!" Professor Merlin cried out. "Atlas of Elden Crest takes the Quaffle!" Josh flew by on a nearby pipe and yelled only one thing. "Skate!" David looked down at his feet and moved as if he were skating. Lighting sparked and his speed was magically amplified with each step. The more weight he threw into the move, the more speed he received from the action. It didn't take him long to get moving at such a rate he was sure he could hear the material below his feet humming. When a sharp turn came up, he leaning into it and whipped around it at breakneck speeds, then pushed himself faster.

After a few seconds of cruising, he noticed a pipe on his upper left getting closer and closer. They nearly interceted about a hundred meters ahead, but there was about ten feet between them, and he was moving at too high of a speed to drop onto it. David twisted his torso to the left, then leap sideways, spinning around once, and landing perfectly on his feet. He cried out in amazement. He had no idea how managed to accomplish such an act of agility, but he did not question it for long and pushed himself harder along his new path. He immediately saw results of his new path, having the fortune to be in the blind spot of a member of the opposite team, who was traveling parallel to him toward the center on a pipe about thirty feet below him. Smiling underneath his mask, David lowered himself down and looped an arm around the pipe, then spun around so that he was dangling by his arms. The crowd erupted in roars of approval and astonishment as he plummeted down. The cries alerted his foe, who turned to defend himself, but it was too late. All his opponent saw was a black hooded shape, like a deathly dementor with ethereal bird-like black wings as it descended upon him, its mirrored black eyes reflecting his horrified visage back at him from its deathly white skull.

David dropped his knees in the chest of his prey, driving the air from his lungs as all of the force David had built up blew into him, propelling the Trinity player backwards into the nothingness beyond, flailing helplessly as David took his place.

"Naga of Trinity is knocked out of bounds by a superb aerial takedown by Elden Crest's Raven!" Professor Merlin announced. The crowd was going wild. David could see replays of his takedown being played in slow motion before the crowds above him. He pumped a fist, playing to the crowd, just before the pipe arched straight downward, forcing him to hop from pipe to pipe like stepping stones, which sacrificed all his momentum. Below him, he saw several players all racing toward the center, which held the three hoops guarded by the Trinity Keepers. Atlas was still in possession of the Quaffle, but was bumping elbow to elbow with a Trinity player, forcing Atlas to hold it at arms length.

David tried to call out in warning, but it was too late as a Trinity player swooped by in the opposite direction and snatched up the Quaffle.

"Quaffle taken by Trinity Academy!"

"Not for long!" Snow yelled, descending down upon the Chaser from a nearby perch and brought a knee up. The Chaser's head snapped back and his arms fell open, allowing Snow to snatch up the Quaffle.

"Cash it in!" Josh cheered as Snow leapt and spun midair in an overhead kick towards the upper left hoop. The first keeper leapt for it, but before he got a hand on it, it hit the corner of the platform, changing direction and bouncing into the lower middle hoop. The second keeper leapt over the hoop and smacked it aside. The first keeper then caught it firmly in his hands and pumped his fist to the roar of approval from their supporters!

"Thor and Loki, widely regarded as the best Keepers in the history of the school, make a fine save from the phenominal kick from Elden Crest's Hermit!" Snow cursed, but Josh, who was nearby, said something to him that seemed to reenergize his teammate, and together they slid on. One of the Keeper's tossed the Quaffle to one of his teammates, and David suddenly wondered how they planned on getting to Elden Crest goal. As if in reply, the Chaser began rapidly stepping against the pipe, as if he were trying to run up a wall, and the magic that accelerated David earlier allowed the Chaser to ascend the obstacle with relative ease, to David's great amazement. David watched as Snow chased after him, leaping back and forth between two pipes, ascending at much greater speeds than his target. David found himself suddenly jealous of the action Snow was getting, and tried to speed up his descent toward them.

Something golden cut him off, redirecting his attention before he landed, nearly causing him to fall off. He turned to movement to his left to see Miki leaping from pipe to pipe much like David was, searching around for the snitch.

"Hey!" David called out to her, catching her attention in order to see him pointing. The snitch seemed to be following a pipe towards the left side of the arena. Miki spotted it, dropped onto the correct pipe, and sped after it. David decided to help her, and did the same, following after her. The Snitch was pretty fast, David realized as he pursued it as fast as he could manage. What made it worse was it did not follow the pipe as he had first thought. He realized this when the pipe spun into a tight helix, and the Snitch flew straight through while they were forced to hunch down and corkscrew through it, loosing alot of time.

"Looks like Elden Crest has their eye on something!" Professor Merlin announced, drawing attention to their chase, followed by a thunderous uproar of their supporters. David sidestepped over onto an adjacent pipe and sped in front of Miki toward the Snitch.

"Look out!" Miki cried out. David glanced back, and noticed her pointing forward. The Snitch was flying out into the middle of nowhere a few feet out from where his pipeline turned to the right, crisscrossing with Miki's. David went for broke, and leapt out over it, even though he knew he wouldn't reach it. He turned around and interlaced his fingers together. Miki realized his plan and jumped out after him. When she caught up to him just as he started to fall, he caught her foot and threw her with all his might before descending downward into the cloudline. Before she was obscured from his sight, he saw her fingers wrap around the golden Snitch and the crowd scream in delight.

"Miki of Elden Crest taked the Golden Snitch with the help of her teammate!" Professor Merlin announced. "First quarter over! 0-5 Elden Crest!" There was a flash of light and David's feet found solid ground. Standing next to him was Freya, the Chaser that had fallen at the beginning of the match. They were at the Elden Crest base, standing before the hoops. His coat and hair where going straight up above him, as well as Freya's belongings.

"Turns out, the base has its own gravity." One of the twins said, walking up to him. David looked around and laughed in amazement.

"I love magic." David said to himself, trying to catch his breath. The game was more physically taxing than he had realized. Every muscle was starting to feel hot and jittery. His uniform was warm and stuck to his sweat-covered skin. His suddenly ragged breaths puffed in hot clouds of steam in the cold air.

"You guys better get goin'. It's only the start of the second quarter. Still alot of game to play."

David uncurled himself and took a deep breath before he jumped upward, and fell back into the arena. David did not know if he had lost his mind, but he was beginning to like this game, and he wanted a lot more of it.


	19. Chapter 19

_** (Writers Note: The following chapter is HIGHLY graphic. Please understand that this was all necessary and how it will effect the later story. If you have problems with high levels of violence, the following chapter may be a bit too much for you. Thank you for reading. **_

_** -Jesse)**_

The entire team sat silently on the benches. The sound of heavy breathing was all that could be heard in the locker room. The second quarter was alot harder than the first after everyone had gotten used to the arena. The Trinity team was definately a force to be reckoned with. During the second quarter, they had not only managed to capture the Snitch in order to tie up the game and send them into halftime, but they had scored with the Quaffle three times in a row, making the score 8-6 in Trinity's favor. David had to respect them. They were all good athletes of Snow's caliber, making them a challenge when confronted face-to-face. David had been eliminated by their Hunter shortly before Snitch was captured.

Right now, they were in halftime, the fifteen minute break in between halves that allowed the audience to use the restroom or grab refreshments while given the teams a chance to recharge themselves before the rest of the game. Naedalance was possibly that hardest thing David had come across since entering school, and he was enjoying the strain it was putting on him. Snow elbowed him to make sure that he was awake.

"Do that again, and I might knock you out before the other team gets a chance." David growled from underneath the moise washcloth that lay over his head. Scattered laughter filled the locker room, but it was brief as they went back to catching their breath.

"You see those Keepers?" Snow asked. "I can't remember how many times we should have scored, but they always seem to get it."

"They definately are good." Josh acknowledged. "I think this is the first time anyone managed to score a goal on them in at least five games. But, something feels off about this match."

"What do you mean?" Atlas wondered, gasping for breath in between large gulps of water.

"To be honest, it's too different." Josh replied. "Normally, games are played on a field of some sort, with goals at either end with a considerable amount of traps and obstacles in between them. This is something completely different."

"Alright. So what is the problem with that?" Joshed looked at them all before replying. "It means that the sport is changing. These new courses are a test. Someone raising the bar of difficulty and we are the first wave to try it."

"So?" David responded, surprising everyone in the room. "So what if the game is harder?" He echoed, unable to fight of the grin of eagerness that spread across his face. "It would not be any fun otherwise, would it." Snow chortled in agreement as he mussed David's hair.

"Stop trying to act like a damn bigshot." Snow threatened him mischievously. David knew by the light in Yukio's eyes that he and David were on the same page. "He's right. So what? We don't know what to expect? Well neither do the Trinity bastards on the other side."

"Well said." Josh said, the infection of a smile David started appearing on his face. "You two are crazy, but you're absolutley right." The whistle blew and they all once again strapped on their protective gear and masks before the locker room raised once again. It was different. The stands were further apart, close to a quarter mile in fact, and instead of the jumble of pipeline and platforms floating above them, as they had left it, there was a huge maze of ruins in between them and the other team.

They were not the type of ruins David had seen in old texts and books. These were much older in appearance and architexture. There were several towers that went up a few hundred feet, leaving the impression that this was once a vast castle, now fallen into a severe state of dilapidation. Huge pieces of works stone were laying about, the view blocked in all directions by tall impassable walls, leaving only an open sky from which they could see the audience cheering.

"So this is the challenge? A maze of old ruins?" Razzo, their third and quietest Chaser, whisper to them while appearing to double-check his shoelaces.

"No." David thought, thinking once again about the vastness of the arena. "No, there's something else about this place. By the way, did the field always change at halftime?"

"Not that I can recall." Josh replied. "Freya, what about you?" Freya, the other senior team member only shook her head solemnly.

"Interesting." David thought aloud, knuckling his chin in thought. It pinged off his helmet, and he quickly checked it by straightening his arm out. Habits like that could get him recognized, Josh had told him, every game we risk exposure. Josh slung his bat over one shoulder and turned to his fellow beater, Ogre. David peered at them curiously, but gathered quickly that they were discussing a problem they faced. With all the walls and rocks, Bludgers were rendered useless unless you had a perfect line of sight with your target. David glanced at the clock to check how much time they had until the game started.

"Hey, David." Snow whispered secretively. "How tall do you think those walls are? Fifty feet? Sixty?" David eyeballed them quickly and confirmed the meaurements.

"Doesn't that seem a bit to tall for a one story building?" Snow wondered. David tilted his head in confusion before looking at the walls once again. Yukio was right in his deduction. There were no marks or any signs at all that there had ever been higher floors. "What kinda creature would live in a structure thats sixty feet tall? Dragons?" David scoffed at the idea. Dragons were indeed rumored to be highly intelligent, but they cared nothing for architeture. They prefered caverns in the ground, or perches on extremely high mountain peaks.

"What about giants?" Snow continued.

"Not tall enough." David replied, once again tossing Yukio's idea aside without much thought. "Something that required walls this high would have to be close to forty feet tall or more." They had to be there to prevent people from climbing up to see the maze from above, he deduced after a few moments.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Professor Merlin's voice boomed over the roar of the crowd. "Welcome back to the second half of Game 1!" The cheers were as loud as they had ever been. The match had filled the entire crowd with an energy that seemed to rejuvenate the players, willing them to play harder.

"Players ready?" Professor Merlin called out. "The Quaffle is in the center of the arena. Good luck to you. Begin!" David tore off as fast as he could into the maze, not in the least surprised when Snow's hands appeared in his peripheral vision. The awe of amazement washed audibly through the crowd like a wave of the ocean.

"Don't underestimate this course!" Josh yelled from behind them. As the words escaped his mouth, a horizontal bar of stone lanced through their path, blocking their passage.

"Over!" David called out.

"Under!" Snow agreed, his voice conveying the grin spread across his face. David leapt up just as Snow dropped down to his side with a simple skid, tilting his entire body to the side to make it through the low clearance. David saw all of this as he simply leapt and twisted midair over the obstacle. They landed side-by-side, and continued running, having barely lost any speed or momentum. Soon after, the maze split in two directions, and with a friendly fist bump, they came to the end before darting off. David had taken the path to the left, which curved slowly around to the right, apparently around the perimeter of the structure.

Before him, the floor crumbled away, revealing nothing but empty sky below him. Gritting his teeth, David jashed and stepped up to the wall. His shoes scrapped the stone rapidly as he ran along the wall, trying to keep up his forward momentum without falling down.

He could not help but cry out in alarm when his foot missed the stone. Twisting as quick as he could, he caught the edge of crumbled floor with his left hand, barely hanging on by his finger tips. He dangled there for a few moments while cursing loudly. Pain and warmth was all he could feel from his arm. He had torn the skin on the jagged rocks, but somehow he was able to maintain his grip. Adrenaline, he supposed. His muscles screamed in protest as he swung up his free hand to the ledge.

"How the hell did you get all the way out there?" Someone asked him. Ogre, his bat swinging like a club in his hand, lumbered over to the edge and peered down at David, who hung some fifteen feet away.

"I ran." David replied blankly as he began inching his way to the right. Ogre stood up tall and scratched his head in confusion with his free hand, reminding David of a caveman. Ogre really did fit him perfectly.

"I don't think I can run that far." Ogre said at length. He turned to the wall and pulled up his bat in his classic baseball stance.

"What are you d-?" David managed to ask before Orge swung the ball into the wall. The wall shook dust free as a it crumbled to show a small hole. Orge swung again and again until there was a passage big enough for him to pass through.

"Good luck." Ogre murmured before he ducked through his makeshift door, which miraculously repaired itself moments later, leaving David by himself, blinking in bewilderment. David growled in annoyance as he continued shuffling his hands to the right, towards safety. His entire upper body was screaming to rest, but he refused to allow himself to fall.

The stone underneath his hand lurched. David looked at it, not quite sure if it was his imagination or a horrible stroke of luck. Cracks ran up along the wall, filling his heart with dread. The stone underneath his hand shook again, as if it were alive, causing the wall to crack even more.

"Hermit takes the Quaffle!" David heard Professor Merlin call out before all hell broke loose. The wall shifted and something pulled David violently as tons of dust and rock crumbled all around him. The stone shifted and made it easier for David to hold onto before he was jerked in incredible violence into the air. The stone whipped around, but David was able to get glimpses of what was happening. Several areas of the center of the maze were collapsing and something was rising up from the ruins. It was maybe eighty feet tall, made of rock and stone, and rose up onto two legs that reminded David of goat legs. Its thick torso was covered in long, deep green moss, and two wickedly long curved horns protruded from its overlarge stone skull. David was dangling from its long tail. Fire spewed from its mouth and eyes as it roared in anger. To David, it looked like the Devil.

"Hermit was unable to keep a grip on the Quaffle and now, in the middle of the arena, an elemental as risen!" Professor Merlin announced, his voice tinged with concern. David had spoken with the Professor often enough to recognize when something was not going according to plan. The staff knew nothing about this. The Elemental roared with earth shaking power that made his teeth rattle.

David was dangling over the edge of the arena, which was a vast bed of clouds. Loosening his grip, David thought about letting himself fall, but something in him made him flex his middles and loop his legs around to give his upper body a chance to rest.

"You okay?" Snow called from one of the broken walls of the arena. David managed to give him a thumbs up before making his way up the Elemental's tail. The Elemental seemed to feel him there, and began to frantically swing its tail back and forth in an attempt to shake him off, as he was clinging as tightly as he could to avoid being thrown off. It seemed apparent that he was not going to let go, so it began dragging him through the walls. David was lucky enough to be on a part of its tail that made him able to narrowly avoid being crushed, but shards of sharp stone shredded his clothes and skin as easily as knives.

"Hold on!" Snow yelled, but David was unable to tell since his eyes were shut tightly. "We have to distract it!" Another roar followed shortly after, and it began to walk through the arena, but somehow it forgot about David and stopped trying to scrap him off. Acting on instinct, David climbed up onto the tail and sprinted for the base of its spine. He leapt up as the tail lurched and grasped heavy handfuls of the long sting-like moss that covered the Elemental like hair. It was grossly slimy and as wet as grass after a cold autumn rain, but it seemed to easily hold his weight. His feet slid uselessly below him as the moss was too wet and slippery to give him any foot hold, and his biceps were starting to build up fatigue and acids. Shaking with effort, David used his back to pull himself up, then reached up as high as he could and slammed his hand down, grasping as much moss as he could. With a grunt, David pulled himself up and reached up for another handful at the same time. He did this again and again, focusing so much on his task that he drowned everything else out until something hit him in the face. Hard. Hard enough that his grip opened for a second and he feel a few feet before managing to cling on for safety.

David was not the only one ascending the giant Elemental, which was rampaging about the arena, chasing people through the maze. There were members of the other team also climbing the moss like David was. They were all about elbow level, David realized, and they were not about to let him ascend any higher. One of them flipped around onto their back and let go off the moss to drop onto him. David let go with his left hand and his body swung right as his attacker yelped in surprise before falling from view. A Bludger flew by violently, forcing David to bury his face in the slimy pants. Even through the mask, David could smell the heavy scent of rotting plants and musty earth underneath. David pulled himself up and looked up above him for the source of that Bludger. One of the smaller ones had a Beater's bat strapped on their back. David had found himself a target.

He climbed with renewed vengence. They were over confident. They thought that their teammate had taken care of him easily and had not looked back to check up on how things were going. This fueled David's fires even more as he quickened his pace, dispite the screaming of his aching muscles. Within the span of a minute, David had climbed the forty feet between them and caught the closest one by surprise.

"Had a little trouble did y-" was all the player had to say until David grabbed a handful of hair underneath the hood and slammed their head into the rocks underneath the moss before flinging him off, allowing David to continue climbing as if nothing had happened. The screams of their comrade falling caught their attention however, and David was already on the Beater by the time they noticed. He gripped the Beater's ankle and climbed up his body before hefting himself so they were eye-to-eye. David saw the Beater hesitate, so he headbutted him as hard as he could, flooding his vision with colors and lights. David returned to the moss and broke free a nearby rock, then used it to smash the Beater's fingers one by one. The Beater freed his bat and clubbed David on the side of his head, but in his hightened state of adrenaline, he did not even pause as he smashed the third finger. That last finger loosened the grip enough to make the Beater tumble into the open air. There was only one left.

They both climbed quickly. The other player was a sure climber and was able to widen the distance between them, to David's surprise. Soon, however, the climb turned into a crawl as they reached the Elemental's back. As soon as they had sure enough footing, they both started running toward the upper back and shoulder area, which was the only even footing nearby. David was the faster runner, and he managed to reach even ground at the same time as his opponent, who immediately took a fighting stance, which struck David as odd.

"You're a Hunter." David said aloud. His opponent nodded in a sort of bow, but nothing more. David had never met another Hunter before. He had not even considered what would happen if he had encountered another Hunter. Their jobs were to hunt and take out other players. This person's goal was not to take the Quaffle, but to beat the hell out of David and secure the Quaffle for his team. Fair enough, David thought. David stepped forward to begin his assault, but instead of being a few feet away, his opponent performed an incredibly fast step-in, making it so they were nearly chest to chest, and began attacking. David noticed a silver pin in the shape of a Hawk before a knee caught him in the stomach. He stepped back and swung off his jacket, using the momentum to throw it at his opponent he was beginning to think of as 'the Hawk'. The Hawk reacted as David expected, jumping back from the coat, since he expected an attack, buying David a few moments.

The Elemental bent down to swipe at something, which knocked them both off balance, forcing him to drop down and glare at each other while holding themselves secure. When the Elemental righted itself again, they slowly stood and waited to see who would attack first. It was then that David noticed that the audience had grown silent. They were watching this battle unfold on their screens. A battle between two Hunters was not unheard of, but the situation they were placed under made everyone tense. This was turning out to be too dangerous to be a game anymore.

David knew he needed to take the initiative, because the Hawk was faster when moving short distances. Charging at him would prove to be a disadvantage and the same outcome would only repeat itself. He needed something to rattle the Hawk's cage. Fluster it a bit so that it would question David's capabilities. David feigned a charge, but took a step back while his upper body moved forward. As expected, the Hawk swooped in after its prey and into David's trap. The Hawk realized this immediately and swung out his legs, throwing his momentum into it, but David blocked it with a lower cross guard using his arms. He had to bring them both back up immediately to block two wide hooks, a left then a right, before swinging down his left forearm and slamming his fist to negate the knee the Hawk had tried to sneak in. David pivoted on his left foot and drove the heel of his right boot deep into the Hawk's solar plexis, causing him to hop back and stumble a few step. David stood ready as the Hawk recovered his damage.

He had learned something from the brief encounter. His opponent was a member of Elden Crest. His physical abilities alone expressed this. David did not stand his position because he was being arrogant, but because in that exchange, even though he managed to block them all, he had taken damage. His forearms still throbbed in pain from the power of those punches. The Hawk knew this.

The step-in was faster than before. David reacted on instinct and weaved his head to the left as a left straight made the air rush past his ear, then ducked and swiveled right under a nasty right hook that would have easily knocked him out. He needed to chop down the Hawk's stamina, so he twisted his hips and kicked out. His full shin bone caught the Hawk in the stomach, blowing all the air from his lungs and pushing him back a few steps. David realized that he needed to capitalize on the moment, or the Hawk would take the advantage again. He hated to admit it, but David was outmatched.

Yelling, David leapt off his right foot and his left knee caught the Hawk in the sternum, knocking him off balance, allowing David to continue to press the attack. As soon as his left foot touched the ground, he pivoted and brought around his right leg into the Hawk's stomach, then another quick snap into the face, knocking his head back. David tucked in close as he brought in his leg and spun around, catching the Hawk in the side of the head with the right of his heel. The Hawk tumbled down, but caught himself before he rolled down the Elemental's back and rolled head over heels onto his feet.

The Elemental shook from a heavy impact unexpectedly, causing David to loose his balance, and wave his arms frantically to try to regain it. The Hawk did not miss the opportunity. His advance came so fast David did not see him move, but managed to raise up an arm to block the heavy left hook the Hawk was throwing. The force blew through David's guard and caught him behind the ear. What made it worse was that the Hawk's next punch was the exact same, and David could not block it at all as it crashed through and blasted him in the head. David felt an unseen uppercut compress his chest, and futilely kicked out to try and defend himself. Two elbows cut deep into the flesh of his shin, lancing pain through his nerves, before a counter kick caught him on his left side, then dropped a heel into the back of David's thigh, making him fall to one knee. A single right straight smashed into his chest, but the force was dampened as they both lost their balance from the Elemental's swaying walk. David flipped around, his boot catching the Hawk under the chin, and bought David room and time to recover, crouching low to keep his balance.

They both stood there for a second, before charging at the same time. David threw a left straight at the Hawk's face, but it was easily caught, only to have David's right hook, which he threw at the same time, crack a rib or two while breaking David's pinky and ring finger. David ignored the pain and spun his entire forearm in a small circle, the back of his hand hitting the tender spot in the Hawk's ribs, followed by a short range barrage of close left and right jabs, taking a step forward each time to drive the power into the punch, before ending it with a wide uppercut into the Hawk's jaw. The Elemental swayed and they both fell on top of one another, David crying out in agony as the Hawk stuck an elbow out, which David had landed on with his right side, where his liver was located. David remembered hearing that a blow to the liver was one of the most painful body blows in fighting. David now had reason and proof to believe it as he rolled off the Hawk and clutched his side in pain.

They both stumbled to their feet at the same time, but David threw the first punch. A wide right hook, which was easily intercepted. The Hawk looped his right arm around David's and repeatedly threw heavy haymakers into David's right side. Each punch drew another anguished cry of pain from David. His body froze against his will against the barrage, which seemed to be cracking his lower ribs. Desperate, David threw an overhead left hook and caught the Hawk in the temple on his blind side, stunning him long enough for David to escape and press his attack. Much like chopping a tree, David assaulted the Hawk's side with huge slams with the side of his forearm, then swung his elbow up, pushed aside the mask, and caught the Hawk's eye. Blood flew onto the ground as a deep cut opened up on the Hawk's left eyebrow. They swayed as the Elemental stepped again before colliding in combat once more.

David leapt into the air, avoiding the rumbling motion of the Elemental that caught the Hawk, and snapped out his right leg into the diaphram of his opponent, flinging him backwards. David rushed forward, leapt into a spin, drove his knee high up into the air, and snapped out his left leg, which caught the Hawk in the right side of his mask. The Hawk threw a left jab, but David caught his wrist, leaned back, and drove the heel of his left foot into the Hawk's weakened ribs. With the Hawk dazed, David stepped forward and swung his elbow, which slide aside the mask again, and opened the cut on Hawk's eyebrow even further. But, thinking on the spot, David brought his elbow back and drove it through the open eyehole into the bridge of the Hawk's nose. He could feel the bones give as a spray of blood exploded from under the mask.

The blow seemed to awaken the Hawk, who dashed forward, driving a fist held out like a spear into David's lower abdomen. Then, a powerful explosion in David's groin made him double over straight into a right straight with a full torso rotation behind it. The power twisted David head to the side and knocked off his mask. David turned his head back, only to have it almost knocked off as two fists caught him under each side of his jaw. The fist then went up to allow the Hawk to drive both elbows into David's shoulders, cracking both collarbones like toothpicks. David was thrown back as the Hawk followed up with a devastating flying knee into his chest, which flung him out over nothing. David reacted quickly, and gripped some moss in his left hand before he fell too, but hear a loud and painful pop as his shoulder dislocated.

David looked up to see the Hawk leaning over the edge to see what happened to him. Growling, David ignored the pain and began to climb. As soon as he reached to top, he shrugged his shoulder and it popped back into place. The Hawk's amazement was obvious, but it was not enough to make him underestimate his opponent any further. David threw a sharp jab with his right, but it was caught and a fist exploded into his diaphram, cutting off his breath before the world turned upside down. The Hawk had thrown him onto his back, he realized, before a sudden kick surprised him, followed by a punch to the lower abdomen, which the Hawk and dropped his body weight into. It felt like a bowling ball had been dropped onto him. David brought his knee up into the Hawk's head, which surprised him enough for David to escape and get to his feet.

I'm losing, David realized. The Hawk rushed him, and David struck in defense, only to have it grabbed and pulled to drive the Hawk's knee deeper into David's gut. It felt like it had hit his spine and David felt blood in his mouth. Rage overcame him and he drove his fist into the Hawk's throat, punching him in the adam's apple, causing the Hawk to wheeze and choke. David made a choice then.

The Elemental's shuddering step knocked the Hawk off balance while David rushed the base of the neck. He leapt up and grasped the long strands of hair like growth and began to climb. The Elemental must have felt the weight, and began thrashing its head about wildly, making it difficult for David to climb. He climbed in between the thrashing. He climbed and avoided being hit by the huge hulking hands that tried to come and swat him like a fly. He entire body hurt, but David made it to the top of the Elemental's head, and kneeled down next to the Quaffle. He gripped it in both hands and yanked it out, inciting a bellow from the angry Elemental.

"Hermit!" David yelled, searching the maze for his friend. Snow was nearby. He had been the one distracting the Elemental, making it chase him around the arena to buy David time. David held the Quaffle above his head, and Snow started cheering, but David casually tossed it down. It fell past the Elemental's head. It passed its body with ease, and landed softly in Snow's hands, who stood there bewildered.

"Win this." David said to himself. When he turned, as he had expected, the Hawk had ascended the Elemental, and they stood face to face in an area barely ten feet in diameter. The Elemental had become oddly still now, almost as if it had been returned to stone. Either way, David knew he no longer had the energy to descend the vast body of the Elemental. He was not even sure if he would be able to defend himself anymore. He no longer cared. He knew that Snow would not let his efforts be worthless. This game was theirs. Now, all David wanted, was to see how far he could push himself past his limits. David calmly pulled off his goggles and peered at the Hawk. He no longer wore his hood, or mask, or googles. The Hawk would know who he was from now on, and that was exactly what he wanted.

The Hawk tilted his head slightly and clicked open a buckle on the side of his head. His mask slid off and clanged loudly against the stone floor. The Hawk had short brown hair and sky blue eyes, which seemed even bluer behind the veil of red blood. The fire in those eyes seemed to draw David in.

"David Crowley." David said.

"Castiel Mondego." the Hawk replied, speaking for the first time.

A loud rumbling from far below signalled the beginning of the end. The Hawk rushed him quickly, and fist started flying. David knocked aside the left jabs, and returned them with counter punches to Castiel's face. They were trading kicks and knees evenly, each either finding their target or colliding mid-way. None of David's punches even seemed to stun the Hawk anymore, who never seemed to take his eyes away from David's. The entire ground lurched and they discovered the source of the noise earlier. The Elemental was crumbling, and the ground they fought on was slowly falling with them on top of it. It tilted dangerously to one side, and Castiel gripped the right side of David's head, then slammed it down on the rocks. The rocks were sharp and jagged. They knifed through David's skin easily. His eye went dark and a strange hollow pain replaced it as he felt warm blood cascade down his neck. Castiel lifted his head and repeated this action on more time. David left the skin on his face peeling off when the Hawk lifted him again. David lanced out his elbow, breaking the Hawk's nose once more and allowing David to roll onto his back. The crowd seemed to scream when they saw David's face, but he descended on Castiel as if he meant to kill him. They traded punches back and forth, their faces swelling, cuts appearing on their flesh. Both of them looked as if they had just gone 10 rounds against a wrecking ball. David's right eye had swelled up to a narrow slit of light, and he no longer had any depth perception, but both of the Hawk's eyes were nearly shut. The cuts inside David's mouth burned when he yelled in exertion. He no longer could tell what was his blood or Castiel's as they both fell into the Gates of Hell together.

The lights went out. A kick had caught him in the side of his head, and David was out. All he knew was falling. His body slid off the edge of the crumbling Elemental over nothing. He freefell down, but felt nothing. He had lost for the first time.


	20. Chapter 20

There was a single point of red light floating in the center of his vision. Everything was black. Infinite in size, but so dark its vastness was smothering. There was absolute nothingness in the abyss, just him floating freely through space and time without any hinderence. There was only that one light, floating about in the middle of the air like a careless firefly in the night. It was something he had never seen before. A rune, he did not recognize. It closely resembled an open four, except for a huge curve in the left line, similar to a two. The two-four symbol continued to float there, like a needle in his mind. The more he thought about it, the more it shrunk until it was merely a small orb of light in the dark. Then, as if it were never there, it disappeared before his eyes, and was replaced by wide circular arcs of curving writing and symbols. Some he recognized, some he did not.

The language was Elvish, that much he was sure, but then, in between sentences, there were long math equations with tons of symbols he did not recognize. Without the math, the notes were just gibberish to him, since they refered only to the equations. They, too, began to shrink until they were thin lines that traced through the sky. He studied them as they came into view. They intersected each other at seemingly random spots, but their paths were amazingly precise. They were forming something too immense for David to clearly make out from his perspective, so he struggled to pull meaning from what little he could see.

As if a spark ignited in his brain, he recognized what it was and it shrunk down instantly to something he could easily comprehend. It was a spell circle in orb form. He folded his body and sat down mid-air as he examined the orb closely. He touched a finger to an axis and pulled it from the orb, expanding that part of the magic to inspect it closely. Each node, one at a time until he realized finally that he had absolutely no clue as to what it did. He pushed it flat between his hands and tried to make sense of it that way, flipping it and rotating it around, hoping something would come to him. Slowly, he recalled everything he and Professor Merlin had discussed about Runes.

_Odin Allfather, one of the first recorded wizards in history. His story about the discovery of the Runes has been one of the most debated tellings of all time, and whenever the story is told, one must never take every event seriously, and imagine for themselves what it could mean. _

_ The story always starts when he rode a Sleipnir to the edge of the World Tree, Yggdrasil, and came across the Nornes, three elderly woman who are said to weave Fate itself. They told him many great secrets of the past and foretold the far distant future. _

_ Eager to learn more, Odin asked the Nornes what they knew about the World, but they denied his questions, refering him to the giant Mimir, who dwelled and protected the Sping of Wisdom, which feed the World Tree. Mimir agreed to tell Odin what he knew, but at the price of Odin's left eye, which he gladly paid, filling him with knowledge of the mysteries of the World._

_ Still, Odin was not fully satisfied in his quest for wisdom. On the way back through the desolate wastelands, he came upon a leafless tree. It was the Fogmoon and the frosty twilight permeated the landscape. The tree called to him, and without hesitation, he tied a rope around his neck. Odin hung between heaven and earth. His ravens "Hugin" and "Munin"-thought and memory- flew around him agitatedly and brought the world's thoughts to his lifeless body._

_ Nine nights he hung on the windswept tree, his eyes wide open to the world. His inner being gradually grew clearer and more luminous. The branches of the trees cast a shadow before him, the branches crossing each other and forming the Futharks, the basic of Runes. It is said that Odin pulled something from behind the curtain of death, knowledge beyond the limits of normal man. As he came back to life, Odin pulled this information with him. Groaning with extreme exertion, he reached out his arm and cut the Runes into the trunk of the tree with his sword. Runes, he called these sacred glyphs, because they whisper wisdom to the initiated. Now, Odin was possessed by the mighty ability to free himself from the tree. He cut himself free and took with him the knowledge he gained. Odin proceeded to train his students in the lore of the Runes. He also gave this gift to any Wizards who were willing to learn, and thus the Runes began._

_ There were twenty Runes orginally. Over time, more were added to the system, but eventually the use of Runes all but died. For centuries, they were forgotten by the Wizarding World, until they were rediscovered by four young wizards. _

According to Professor Merlin, each founder brought with them a set of 13 runes, David realized, but Gawain brought 20 runes. David reexamined the Spell Circle closely, and kept recalling the strange rune, which he had seen before.

"Rediscovered." David said, even though he was not even conscious of the action. All of his Professors in Trinity Academy, every book he had every read about the founding members in class, always said that Gawain had rediscovered the Runes in 1407. Rediscovered how?

"Is there a way I can retrace his steps?" David asked himself. The Spell Circle evaporated into small beads of light, and made a perfect circle around David. Every Rune that David knew surrounded him in a cage of light.

It felt like days. He just sat there staring at them. He did not know anything of hunger, or thirst, or exhaustion. His eyes never left the Runes, which slowly rotated around him. His mind raced constantly down millions of strings of thoughts, which interconnected and wove together into a large net of theories. Before he knew it, more Runes appeared in the circle. Astrological Runes for the Stars, like Capricorn and Aries.

The legend stated that Odin hung in the sky between the heavens and the earth, David realized. What were the signs for the planets? One by one, they appeared as they had before. Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Pluto. David looked at them for a second before adding more. Before 1811, everyone thought there were more planets, and even minor planets had to be counted. Ceres, Juno, Pallas, Chiron, and Vesta added themselves to the list. Then, there was the North Node and the South Node, two points from Astrology in reference to the Moon.

Slowly, he reached up and pried his thumb underneath his left eye. He was not even conscious of the action until his eye popped out of its socket. There was no pain in this world, but he still keenly felt the steady flow of blood from the now empty socket. His eye, its yellow shining brightly, floated away from him. And with that, he stopped breathing. It was unusual. It was not something he did, but something that had happened to him automatically. Slowly, David slipped into a state of nothingness and even though he was still aware of his surroundings, he felt the life lift itself from his body, then time meant nothing to him. Then, slowly, his thoughts quieted, and he simply stared before him.

Thirst. His first thoughts were only of how unbelieveably thirsty he was. His eyes peeled open and were quickly assaulted by a blurry view of a dimly lit room. It took several moments for his eyes to properly process what he was seeing so that David could understand. It appeared as if he was laying in the hospital ward of the school. He sat up and his hair fell in his face. It was longer than it was before, he noted. The fatigue and weakness were also signs of prolonged bed rest.

"1-2-3-5-7-11-13-17-19-23." He said hoarsely. He blinked in confusion. What on earth was that? The first ten Prime Numbers? What a time for that to pop out of his mouth. He tried to ignore it, but now the numbers were in the back of his mind, like a festering wound.

"Up now, are we, young man?" A nearby nurse asked him. He stared at her in confusion, even tilted his face to the side. He knew her, her name even, but it would not come to him. For the first time that he could remember, he was unable to remember something.

"Yes." David replied dryly, licking his dry tongue across his cracking lips. The nurse waved her wand and a pitcher of water poured him a glass of water. He happily accepted it and began drinking mightily. When he left like he could manage a few words without drowning himself, he laid back and asked, "How long have I been out?"

"I would say about 1 month." The nurse replied. "You took a nasty fall during the game. Hit your head. Thought we lost you more than once, but you pulled through alright."

"Lost...as in, died? I died?"

"Yes, I am afraid. A few times, in fact." She smiled and nodded. "But, we knew you would be alright when you woke up and spoke to the Professor."

"Wait...what? I spoke with who?"

"Professor Merlin. Your right eye snapped open and you pulled him close. Spoke real quietly in his ear for a few moments before he was forced to make you sleep, so we could move you safely." David took a few more sips on his water as he let the news swim around him his head.

"Any...lasting damage?" David wondered aloud.

"Well, there might be a few things, but besides the physical, there is not much that I can see." She admitted. David quickly checked for new scars or missing apendages, but everything seemed in order. The Nurse conjured a mirror and carefully handed it to him. The face in the mirror startled him so much that he nearly dropped it. He was thinner, due to his bedrest, so his face was leaner. His skin was paler than he had ever seen it. But, the biggest changes were his hair and eyes. His hair was darker now, a dark brown that was nearly black. While it felt the same, it was longer and much darker than he had ever seen it. He could like with the hair, the eyes is what scared him. David had always been fond of his eyes. He always thought it was his only good physical feature. They were pretty, he thought. Plus, the color made him different. But now, they were almost inhuman. Red, like roses, and glowing slightly in the failing light.

"How?" was all that David managed to say.

"Honestly, we have no idea." The nurse replied sadly. "Professor Merlin said it might have something to do with your accident. That it might have possibly triggered the change, but they show no signs of returning to their original color. There was a knock at the door. The nurse excused herself politely, drew his curtain, and left to answer it. David could hear them quietly talking, but he was unable to tell precisely what it was about. Footsteps approached his curtain slowly and slid the curtain aside.

"Hello, David." Professor Merlin said kindly, pulling a chair beside the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay." said David, sitting up more in his hospital bed.

"Good. You had us worried. I actually have a few things I need to ask you." Professor Merlin announced.

"Uh, okay Professor." David agreed. "Shoot."

"Do you know the fundamental difference between a wizard and a sorcerer?"

"A wizard has studied magic and practices it after many years of learning. A sorcerer is acquire their powers through supernatural or abnormal means. Sorcerer's describe magic with relative means using definitions, postulates, theorems and mathematical formulas."

"Perfect answer, as always, David." Professor Merlin nodded. "Now, how do they differ from a mage?"

"I did not know there was a difference, to be honest."

"Yes, and most people would, David. A Mage is a Wizard or Sorcerer, who has focused on a single objective, and followed it to its end. Stay Alabasta Viernay, a brilliant wizard in 1582, who wished to learn more about Fire. It seemed to call to him, and all of his knowledge was funneled into a form of magic he called Pyromancy. The ability to weild and control flames as he saw fit, at all times, with or without a wand. Eventually, he delved to deeply, and suffered greatly for it."

"Why would you tell this to me, Professor?" David wondered.

"Moderation, David." Professor warned, tilting his head forward. "Moderation in all things. Push too far, and nothing good can come of it."

"Something happened. Didn't it." David said, his eyes narrowing in realization.

"Yes." he replied, smiling slightly with a tilt of his head. "Yes, it did. And I believe the change in your appearance may be connected. A bond far beyond my understanding."

"What? What happened?" David pressed, more seriously. Professor Merlin reached into his pocket and drew a pair of ancient glasses, along with a bit of parchment.

"Terra. Ignis. Aqua. Aero. Fulgoris. Ferrum. Cuprum. Stannum. Argentum. Sol. Lunas. Mercury. Venus. Gaia. Mars. Ceres. Jupiter. Saturn. Uranus. Pluto." Professor Merlin read. "Do you know what all these words have in common?" The Professor have David a few moments to respond before folding up the paper and continuing.

"They all have a symbol or a rune attached to their name. It took a great deal of time and research to decipher your words, David. Each one I named, you whispered to me, in a language I cannot even describe. Gaelic and Norse provided a lot of the pieces of the puzzle, but the language isn't what bothered me. How many did you count, David?"

"Twenty, Professor." David replied instantly.

"Correct. Twenty." He said. David waited for him to continue, but the expression on Professor Merlin's face said that he was missing something.

"I don't understand Professor. We do not use those Runes in any class. They do not belong within the Futhark class that names all the Runes as True Runes. The only ones I can remember off the top of my head would be from Astrology." David explained. "I honestly do not see the bigger problem."

"When you find the answer, come find me." Professor Merlin sighed, seeming disappointed. "Let me pose to you another question now, David. Why do you think that the Arabic numbering system appears within the Spell Circles?"

"Isn't it because whoever created it used that numbering system? It has grown so that everyone on the planet uses it as their primary number system."

"Then, why did they write all the rest of it Futhark Runes, alchemical symbols and equations, and Elven, if they wished?" David frowned.

"Because that is what is required for the magic to work in the first place." David said, not quite sure of his answer. Professor Merlin's head tilted to the side, almost laying on his shoulder. His eyes never left Davids.

"Arabic numbers," Professor Merlin began, "are a symbol, like any other. You could say that they are yet another type of Rune. While they may not be based on, or as old as the Elvish language or the Futhark runes, do you really think wizards of old used spell circles for magic back then?"

"No. That would be unlikely. Wandlore was not fully established during those ages." David said quickly, listening intently.

"Yes. Magic was far more powerful back then, and wizards did not require any words, nor wands, nor any waving of anything to perform their magic. Do you know why we use wands now?"

"No, sir." David admitted. It had not been a question that had occured to him.

"Four reasons. One: Convienence. Wizards were only able to teach one or two apprentices at a time before the establishment of wandlore. Wands made it easier for young witches and wizards to learn from one master."

"Two: Ease of use. Wizards can cast magic easier, sometimes a bit faster, than without, at the loss of power. It also made it simple to disarm another wizard, as they had only learned magic through use of a wand. This made magical enforcement a bit easier, while at the same time vastly increaseing the available amount of spells to one wizard."

"Three: Time. Before, an apprentice would have to study magic for nearly twenty years of their lives in order to be called Witch or wizard. Also, it was hard for a wizard to teach a witch, as their powers work slightly different, just as a man is different than a woman. Rogue wizards, unable to control their powers, or abusing them, were common place."

"Four: Risk. Truly powerful spells, require a wizard's will to be put into the spell. The greater the will, the more effective the spell was. However, that being said, they could always backfire, through not enough will, or improper execution. Death was the gamble with every spell. What happens when Mr. Gabranth attempts Transfiguration?"

"It normally changes into something else entire, actually." David smiled.

"Yes, amusing now. But, what if, instead of the cup being disfigured, your arm was instead?" Professor Merlin asked. His demeanor had become extremely dark and David had slid a little bit down under the growing pressure. Professor Merlin looked nothing like the young thirty somthing man that he was. In David's eyes, he saw a powerful wizard, ancient and older than his time staring at him, as if the man before him had lived through far more than David ever could manage in his entire lifetime. Professor Merlin drew a cardboard square from his robes and handed it to David. It was covered in hundreds of small, centimeter wide, tiles that had been adhered to the surface. There were several different colors, three or four at first glance, and they had been arranged at random.

"I am assigning you a project, David." Professor Merlin said, taking his eyes from David. "You will come into my office everyday, and you will count. Each day. Then, when you are done, I want you tell me the number of tiles, and how many of each color. If you get it wrong, then the next day, they will be rearranged, and you will start again. Understood?"

"Y-yes, Professor." David acknowledged, feeling intimidated. He dared ask, "What for?" Professor Merlin drew his wand and pointed it at the side of David's bed.

"_Levitus Inphorsi._" He said gently. The air shimmered and a thick wall of shimmering air appeared next to David's bed. "Feel that, tell me what it feels like." David reached out and touched it. It was suprisingly pliant for air. Almost like trying to put his hand through jello, light and fluffy, while not allowing his hand to pass through.

"Like pudding?" Professor asked, nodding when David agreed. Then, with his empty left hand angled toward the otherside of David's bed, he cast another spell, inaudible, but it looked about the same. David noticed that the shimmer was more violent, almost harsh, and it made his inner ear hum as if he was nearby large powerlines. When the Professor indicated that he wanted him to test it, David was met with the feeling of a brick wall covered in sharp grass and barbed wire, causing him to cry out.

"Tomorrow, you will begin your lessons. When you are done with your schooling here at Trinity Academy, I do not see any reason why you would be unable to do that same spell."

David was at a loss for words, but the Professor smiled and he knew that he was understood. David watched his mentor leave, but something else caught his eye. Professor Merlin's left hand was different. It was thin, frail, old, and extremely weathered. Even after the nurse came back in and told him to sleep, David lay there in silence, thinking about that hand. At the same time, just before drifting off to sleep, two things appeared in David's mind. The first was all the Runes that the Professor had mentioned, each with a different color, floating nicely in a circle. The second was something entire foreign. An idea, if it could be called that. It was a wand, he thought, but that was the last conscious thought. His dreams were filled with designs and ideas, that he would barely remember come morning.


	21. Chapter 21

"What is it?" Yuri wondered, examing the sketches that had fallen out of David's backpack with excitement.

"Nothing really." David laughed a fairly obvious lie. He really was not ready to show the contents of the notebook to anyone yet. Not even Professor Merlin. Either way, he had no time to look through the notebook and figure out what they were. So, he was not really sure what Yuri had seen just yet.

Besides, David was no longer allowed to do any research into such things.

The school board had found out about David's ventures and extracurricular study sessions in his room. While they would not stop him from learning more, they said that there was going to be a strict limitation to the information he was allowed to access. David imagined that Professor Merlin had failed to mention the enchantment in David's bedroom, but neither of them said anything about the matter.

It had been a week since he woke up in his hospital bed. Every morning, just as he woke, David would grab the notebook on the side of the bed. For nearly 30 minutes, without actually reading or understanding what he was doing, David would write or draw in that notebook. Then, as if he suddenly realized he was awake, he would become aware of his surroundings and the book would be closed. From the little information he had glanced at inside, it was full of seemingly impossible calculations, wonderous ideas, and frightening innovations. He read through as many books as he could, but could not find anything close to what he had been writing in that book.

As a side effect, David seemed to be suffering terrible migraines and memory loss lately. He thought it might have been an aftereffect of his accident, but all examinations insisted that he was perfectly healthy again. The migraines always started whenever he sat down to try and figure out complex spells and runes that he found interesting. After a few minutes, the pain would creap in and force him to stop.

The memory loss was a different issue. He realized it almost instantly. He could remember everything he had learned, but he was no longer able to recall the innate details like he was before. He could no longer see the page in his mind. Also, portions of his childhood were now almost completely blank.

Yuri flipped through the notebook without a care, as if he did not hear David, and examined the page it landed on.

"David, this is exquisite work. The detail and information is extremely complex, yet amazingly easy to grasp and understand." Yuri gasped, entralled by the books contents. It made David uneasy watching Yuri being absorbed in such a way.

"These spells here...you made these by yourself?" Yuri continued, turning the book and pointing at two spell circles in the middle of the page.

"I don't know." David admitted.

"Here, look at this one. What language is that?" Yuri asked, flipping the book around again and pointing at a single sentence near the bottom of the page. It was written at a slant, as if added offhand at the last moment.

_Fulgoris Lux Lucis Lancea Carmen "Fulgoris Lancea"_, it read. David's brow bunched up in confusion as he read it a second time. He did not recognize the language it was in, let alone what it meant, or what it did. Looked like Latin, he realized.

"Have you tried it out?" Yuri asked, looking up hopefully.

"No." David replied, to both the question and the look in Yuri's eyes. David's hand went to his fake wand in his pocket. As soon as he touched it, he drew his hand away. He missed his wand dearly, almost like he lost an important piece of his soul. He could feel it, his wand. It was laying in the clearning where he had met his father, in the forest to the north. If he closed his eyes, he would be there, feeling its surroundings at it did. The cold dew of the grass caressing its ancient wooden skin. The gentle rays of the sun lightly licking its exposed runes whenever the light peaked throught the leafy overhang.

"Really?" Yuri wondered, slightly disappointed, but amazed David had not tried it sooner.

"I'm not even sure if that spell would work anyway." David said. "It was just something I scribbled down in there as soon as I woke up. I wouldn't take it too seriously if I were you."

"What about this?" Yuri wondered, opening it up to a drawing on the next page. It was technical designs for a ring or bracelet of some sorts, but David had no idea what it was for. Before he could reply though, Yuri turned the page and cried out in amazement.

"Wow, would you look at this?" David craned his neck to look at the page properly. It was a hand drawn Spell Circle that covered the entire page. There were several handfuls of smalls notes in pencil in the margins, all the mathematics, and pointing out what were apparently key points and figures of the spell. David did not even remember drawing it in the first place, but it worried him.

His eyes drifted up from the page to the figure of someone standing down the hall. It was Snow, who had been crossing the hall up ahead of them, and seemed to be considering something. Snow had refused to talk or even be near David this past week, so when David called out to him, trying to get him to stay, Snow left the hallway and seemed to ignore him. It was the same way with Evangeline since the match. Both of them seemed to be upset with him about something, and were refusing to talk to him as a result. He felt extremely lonely without them by his side. Yuri was a good friend, but he missed them greatly.

This obviously placed a great deal of strain on everyone during their classes together, as they had always been partners, and even sat together. Evangeline seemed to want to talk to him, but would always falter and loose her courage before she could say anything. Yuri and Vlad had been his only two friends, but it was like wearing someone else's shoes for a day. Nothing felt quite right. Even more so without he two closest friends.

"Still not talking to you, huh?" Yuri asked, returning the notebook to David's bag.

"No. Not at all. Still haven't heard anything?" David wondered, feeling a little lost about the whole situation.

"I told you before, David. You are going to have to figure this all out for yourselves. I'm not going to start pick which friend I choose to side with on this. Why don't you go ask them for yourself?"

"Because they keep ignoring me, that's why!" David exclaimed in frustration, returning his pack over his shoulder and heading off towards Potions ahead of Yuri, who had Adv. Spellogy in the eastern wing down the same hall. He could not help but be mad at Snow and Evangeline for treating him like this. He thought he deserved better, and wanted to run up and demand to know what their problem was with him all of a sudden.

Yuri said his good-byes a few moments later before disappearing into a hidden passageway behind a tapestry, a shortcut to his next class. David felt alone again, without a companion to take his mind off of things. Yuri and Vlad would mask the pain slightly, but they could never help him when he was all alone.

David was shoved roughly from his blindside and thrown face-first into the wall, something slamming into him from behind, grinding his face into the stone. There was more than one of him, he realized, as they pinned his arms behind him and began kneeing and punching his ribs to subdue him. When they finally had him the way they wanted him, they flipped him around, pinned him again, and slid him off his feet up the wall.

On either side was a massive wall of meat with two faces he did not recognize, and a third, smaller man standing farther back, watching it all unfold.

"Just as I thought." The smaller man spoke. He sounded like a snake, David thought.

"Who are you? What do you want?" David demanded before he was cut-off by a massive fist in his jaw. The smaller man sighed and got closer.

"All you people ask the same silly questions." he said, examining David closely. "Who are you. Why are you doing this. Why me. All the same, all pointless and ignorant." He leaned in close, so close that David could feel his hot sticky breath on his face.

"You are Crowley. I am Desmond." he smiled, which was way too big to be natural. He seemed to be going out of his way to get as close as possible without coming into contact with David. "As for your other question...let's just say I find it fun. You think you're untouchable. I exist to tell you. You. Are." He glanced to one of the gorillas holding David, who proceeded to batter David some more. He even went so far as slamming David's head against the wall by his hair a few times. They all chuckled while it happened. When they pinned him against the wall again, David spit blood as far as he could, but only caught Desmond's shoes. He peered at them in mild disgust before ignoring them again.

"No need to get your hands dirty? Gotta have your friends do it for you?" David snarled, trying to catch his breath.

"Nope. I can't." Desmond smiled, raising his hands to show a bracelet on his wrist similar to the one around David's. They put it around his wrist to make sure that he followed the rules and placed four limitations on him to make sure that he stayed "within the bounds".

"Rule 1: Not allowed to leave the castle without a faculty escort. Rule 2: Practice of magic or martial arts outside of class is prohibited unless strictly for homework. Rule 3: Not allowed to fight under any circumstances unless under direction of faculty member." Desmong recited the three rules in which they had been bound. "Now, you should see why I picked you." A fist busted David's nose, making his head bounce off the wall. "You can't fight back."

David tried to pull free, but was rewarded by being lifted into the air and slammed powerfully onto his back on the stone floor by the two muscled behemoths. Never in his life could he have imagined the pain that shook him to the core.

"Going somewhere?" Desmond wondered, tilting his head. There was a small smile on his face.

"To class, obviously." David replied as best he could. He response was rewarded with a swift and violent knee drop deep into his abdomen. As much as he wanted to break free and teach them all a lesson, he was outnumbered and severly limited.

"What do you want, Desmond?" David gasped weakly. David was picked up by his hair and lifted by the throat.

"Oh, I got everything I want and need right here, thank you." Desmond grinned sadistically. "Seriously, Crowley, you make it so easy. Why don't you fight back, hmm?" The two giants to either side chuckled in response. David dangled there weakly, unable to respond, but tried glaring daggers into Desmond, who seemed to grow bored.

"Alright, let's finish up here before someone finds this mess." Desmond sighed with a wave of his hand. David was lifted high into the air and slammed into the ground once again. Before he could recover, blow after blow rained down on him from above, delivered by the heavy boots of his attackers as they kicked and stomped at him with all their fury. David rolled onto his stomach weakly and covered the back of his head to try and defend himself. He was broken and extremely weak. His ribs hurt. His shoulders ached. His stomach heaved as a boot caught it cleanly, emptying his breakfast all over the floor. He couldn't move his legs enough to think about running away. He just laid there and took what felt like an endless beating. They were going to kill him, he though.

"I think he's had enough for now." Desmond's voice echoed distantly throughout David's numb mind. He felt a tight grip on his hair life his face from the ground. There was a lot more blood than he had expected. It was frightening and drove his injuries home, but awoke him from his stupor.

"Next time," Desmond hissed quietly in his ear. "You should watch what you say. I might feel generous and let you keep your face." David snapped. He spun the latch on the ring of his right hand, releasing all of the kinetic energy it had built up since he bought it. All at once. Since he was wearing it, all of the energy passed through him harmlessly. Desmond, however, being right next to David, was not so lucky. Neither was the floor.

The cry of pain and surprise that escaped from Desmond said it all as he was thrown like a ragdoll into the ceiling. David rolled over onto his back and chuckled weakly.

"Fuck you, Desmond." David laughed. After a few moments, he shuffled his way to the wall and used it to sit up. He looked around through the two swollen slots that were his eyes. His arms were shaking violently from the effort of proping himself up.

The damage was pretty severe. The floor and walls had been cratered from the extreme force David had unleashed. Desmond was laying unconcious ten feet away from the crater with some rubble on top of him, unmoving. His two friends were slightly more fortunate, since they were not as close, but they were more than thirty yards away, rolling around and groaning in pain. David spit a massive amount of blood from his blood and wiped his mouth with his wrist. Everything ached and burned as he shuffled his way up the wall onto his feet, his back against the wall the whole way. His backpack had been thrown a fair distance, but lucky it was on the way to his class. He stumbled down the hallway, his shoulder against the wall.

David just got his ass kicked, and he knew it well enough from the swelling and cuts on his face. He did not say anything at all as he made his way through the castle. His mind was not exactly clear as he made the trip, but he did not remember entering his classroom late. He remembered there was a great commotion and a lot of talking, but he just sat at his desk and slumped back.

There was a lot of light in his eyes as a someone, presumeably a Professor, flashed their wand in his eyes to make sure he was alright. He tried to ask some questions, but could no longer get his mouth to work properly. His hearing was not that great at the moment either, as everything was extrememly muffled or drowned by the sharp ringing.

David was not aware of anything for a period of time until a sound pulled him awake. It was a sharp whistle, followed by a loud rush of air as his hearing returned. The swelling on his face had gone down to the point that he could see again. He was in Professor Merlin's cramped office. He recognized some of the things on the walls. Outside the window was the the Elden Crest dormitory tower, which seemed to overlook the rest of the school. He assumed that the Professor's office was in one of the towers as well.

"Having troubles, Mr. Crowley?" Professor Merlin asked nicely. David looked around before finally spotting the Professor. He was nearly hidden behind piles of books and scrolls that covered his large desk, a quill in his hand scratching rapidly across the parchment in from of him. "Do not worry about your earlier activities, David. I have personally spoken with the School Board about it, and they have agreed to ignore this one incident, since you were being attacked."

"Thank you, Professor." David croaked after a few failed attempts to get his mouth to work. "How did I get here, sir?"

"House Elves." the Professor answered without looking up from his paperwork. David looked around as if he ecpected to see them standing around behind him. It was silly, to be honest, but he was hopeful. He could have used the laugh with how horrible he felt.

"So, youre not going to ask what happened, sir?" David wondered uncomfortably.

"No, Mr. Crowely." he replied simply, setting aside his parchment and drawing another paper in fron og him.

"Then, if you don't mind me asking, why am I here, Professor?" David pressed. He was not used to being ignored like this.

"Like I notified you earlier this week. You are here to train." Professor Merlin said, pointing to the ground with his quill. As soon as the Professor spoke, the floor seemed to expand ten fold, making the office the size of a football field. "You are too count the tiles on this floor. There are three different colors, Red, Blue, and Yellow. When you are done, you are to be asked the amount of each color. If you do not answer correctly, you will have to start over. Please begin."

"Is this a punishment, Professor?" David wondered. Professor Merlin did not look or speak to him, just simply dipped his quill in the ink, then continued scratching it across the parchment.

David groaned in pain as he fell to his knees on the hard tile floor. Each tile was as big as his thumb nail. There were thousands of them, he realized. Quietly, he began to count.

The first hout was painfully slow. He was having a hard time memorizing the count, which was something that had never happened to him before. Repeatedly, David had to start over because he had lost count. He was growing increasingly frustrated with the entire task.

Time blurred into a hodge-podge of back pain, aching knees, and multicolored tiles. He felt like he was going numb all over after a period of time, and forgot all about his injuries. The only sounds came from Professor Merlin's quill, which never seemed to stop except to take in more ink.

The sun steadily slid through the sky as David continued to count the tiles, one after another on his hands and knees. He was absorbed with them. Somehow, he had unknowingly fallen into a trance that kept him counting while being completely still. There was nothing else in that world but those tiles.

It was only when Merlin cleared his throat that David realized he had finished. David lurched in surprise and looked around the office, which had returned to its previous size. Professor Merlin was simply sitting there, his hands folded in a very wizardly way, just watching quietly while he waited to have David's full attention.

"David, how many blue tiles were there?" he asked quietly.

"11,973, Professor." David blurted while the numbers were fresh in his mind. Professor Merlin opened a drawer and pulled out a length of parchment, then hovered it into David's hand, along with a quill with a blue feather.

"Color them here." he ordered. The parchment was an exact template of the floor he was just counting. "From memory, of course." he added, before returning to his paperwork. David was completely lost. He could only remember the amount of tiles, not where they had been placed on the florr. Hands shaking, he touched the quill to the first square, where he thought the first blue tile had been. The entire parchment instantly ignited into a pillar of blue flames.

"You will not go to class tomorrow, David. Instead, you will come here and do the exact same thing again until you get it right."

"Why can't I go to class, Professor?" David asked.

"This." was he answer. In the Professor's hand was David's fake wand. "There is nothing for you to do in the classroom if you do not have the proper tools in which to learn and complete your education, Mr. Crowley."

"can we go and get my real wand back from the woods?" David asked hoepfully.

"No. Your broke the rules by going into the northern forest as it was. The Board will not tolerate a second offense, David." he explained calmly, setting the fake wand back down where it had been. "Until tomorrow then."

"See you at dinner, Professor." David acknowledged the dismissal glumly. He had forgotten all about his earlier injuries until he tried to get to his feet. They all flamed in pain and came to life as if they had been asleep. Slowly, David limped his way through the castle to the Mess Hall.

Yuri was the first to see him, and ran over immediately to help him out, and to hold him steady. Snow remained in his seat, but had an expression of concern on his face, which he tried to hide. Evangeline simply refused to look at him a second time, but David knew her well enough that her eyes were probably tearing up with worry.

Thanks guys, David thought bitterly as Yuri lead him to an empty table. You would think seeing your best friend cover in blood would cause you to break your silence and come see if he was alright and ask what happened.

"You still not going to tell me why they are mad?" David wondered, looking to Yuri weakly.

"I am waiting for you to man up and go ask them for yourself." Yuri retorted, grabbing a plate of hamburgers for himself. "Now, tell me what happened to you. The entire school is buzzing with stories and tall tales about what happened today. You really didn't kill anyone, did you?"

David slipped his legs over the chair and began grabbing food as he explained what had happened to him. It hurt him to laugh while he explained the part with his ring, but it felt more than worth it. He just wanted to have his friends back at his side, so they could laugh with him. He could imagine what Snow would do to Desmond once he found out what they did to David.


	22. Chapter 22

Reality snapped into place instantly as his eyes popped open and he was immediately awake. He was sweating heavily, as if he just got out of the shower. His entire body was hot and cool at the same time. His body still hurt and ached all over from Desmond's beating earlier that day. The sweat stung his wounds, but it only seemed to heighten his senses.

He looked at the glowing red numbers of the clock on his nightstand. It was nearly two in the morning. Without explanation, he tossed the clock aside and ran his hand over the nightstand. It was smooth and sanded, with no corners or rough edges, but seemingly solid, strong wood. He had no idea what kind of wood it was, but something about made his hand tingle when he touched it. Carefully, he lifted it into his lap and came to a realization. His body was acting on its own. He honestly had no real interest in the nightstand, but something inside of him was acting out.

It had an idea, and writing it down in the notebook in the morning was no longer good enough to satisfy it needs. He reached down and pulled his dagger from his boot sheath, and slowly, with great care, began carving of thin layers of wood. His hands would work continuously for extended periods of time, before pausing and repositioning the block, then starting again.

He was not even sure how long he sat there, his eyes riveted on the wood in his hand. His other hand never stopped shaving off layers as it struggled to give the wood the desired form. His floor and bed was covered in thin curling strips of the removed wood. It kept getting smaller and smaller. His hands stopped shaving, and turned the wood on its end, then his hands began to carve out the middle. The size was interesting. It was as long as his forearm and the hole he was carving was about arm size. It was a forearm bracer. His realization was confirmed when he tried to slide it on his left arm. He kept trying it on, and carving, trying it on, and carving. It was going to be a perfect fit, shaped exactly to the size of his arm.

David was amused by the whole process as he watched his hands work with a high level of dexterity and precision he did not know they possessed. Why a bracer of all things? When the size and fit was perfect, he began to carve light designs into the outside of it. They looked like wonderful intricate designs, almost Celtic in design, but something more magical. David remembered seeing similar designs before. This was of Elven origin. It followed the grain of the wood in a very natural sort of fashion. Almost as if it was from the wood itself. W

When it was finished, David set down the bracer very carefully, and stood up. He walked over to the large cabinet that house his Potions component in dozens of small drawers. Each one had a separate label on it, written in David's hand. It was on of the pieces of furniture in David's room that always made Professor Merlin smile in delight. It must have been due to the fact that most students tried to keep anything school related out of their rooms as much as possible.

He opened four drawers and pulled out their contents carefully, each wrapped up in a roll of linen cloth. The cloth itself was unimportant, but what was wrapped within them was. David moved over to his desk and swept the books onto the floor, then placed each roll down carefully. He retrieved the bracer and set it aside, then turned to the linen to unroll each one.

The first one was full of many tiny silvery strands, looking almost as if they were made of nothing but pure moonlight. They danced in the early morning light that began streaming through David's window. They were unicorn hairs, 2 Galleons a piece, David recalled the purchase. He bought the whole supply of twelve that the shopkeeper had, simply because they were items of interest to him.

The second cloth contained a material of similar nature, seven gold and red phoenix feathers. They made a light chiming noise and little tiny globes of light emanate from them like tiny fireflies, only to flicker out and die within seconds of their birth.

The next one contained a single vial of a red liquid David knew to be dragon's blood. It was extremely warm to the touch and the cloth was blackened from where it had been contacting the glass. It nearly felt like it contained a heartbeat as the air hummed in a deep tempo.

The last cloth was wrapped firmly around a jar. The content were solid ice, to prevent the contents from expiring. Inside, glowing faintly like a star in the sky, was a single droplet of a liquid that cost David 30 Galleons and a whole lot of haggling to get the price that low. A Sphinx' Life Tear, shead only once in the entire lifetime of the Sphinx, at the moment they give birth to their offspring. David bought it on a whim. It sounded cool. Simple as that.

Working carefully, David's hands hovered over the unicorn hair and phoenix feathers. A single hair glowed for a moent while a feather emitted a warm flame. Holding his breath, David immediately picked them up and slowly began twisting them together. They harmonized. They were not chosen, they chose themselves for this. Every so often, a shower of golden sparks would flow from them as they began to merge into one. Every time this happened, David would receive burns on his hands and fingers, but he did not release them. It was like having a burning coal from the fire resting against your skin.

As soon as he was finished, David released his held breather, and snatched up the bracer. Taking deep breaths, he grasped a pair of foreceps in his free hand, and unscrewed the jar's lid with his fingertips.

A sound, disturbingly similar to a singing woman, radiated from the tear as he grasped it firmly. His hand was shaking and tears flowed from his eyes involuntarily at the unexplicable beauty of the voice. Dispite this, David hands worked quickly. He set the merging elements flat against the wood, and then firmly pressed the tear against it, like he was trying to stab it into the bracer.

Singing was immediately replaced by a blood chilling scream that shook David and gave him goosebumps. The bracer and his desk vibrated from the waves of power. It was like a battle of wills, David against the Sphinx, both crying out as they struggled to gain control. The entire bracer looked like it was being covered in thin strands of light, similar to a web. It would weave itself from the tear, float freely through the air, then latch itself to the wood as if it were pulled by a magnet. he had no idea what was happening, but he felt like he was watching it from afar, somewhere deep in the back of his mind as the entire room began to be bathed in a deep blood red light. The light grew brighter and brighter until David could see nothing else.

His consciousness snapped and he spiraled out of control. Lost in the sea of magic and thought. He was struggling as he swam against the current that was his thoughts. When he regained himself, it was all over. He was covered in sweat, breathing as if he had just ran several long and hard miles. The bracer was on his left forearm. The designs that David had carved were blood red, almost like they had been filled with thin rubies. The vial of dragon's blood lay discarded and empty. In the middle of the bracer was a round stone, deep blue like the sea. The square stones of the restriction bracelet given to him from the school board each sat in a separate silver setting around his wrist. His right hand slide across the wood's surface. It felt like leather when he moved his wrist, but when he touched it, it was as firm and hard as stone. It seemed impossible, such a contradiction, but David knew it to be true. He carefully sild of the bracer and examined it in awe. Something in the back of his mind came to a conclusion. It was time to read the notebook.

The thought emerged all on its own. It had been there a while, since he had first started writing in it, but it was only now that he actually recognized it, like a cloud of darkness had been masking it all this time. He felt certain that this bracer might be in there somewhere, and inside would also be descriptions of what it was capable of. He remembered Yuri had mentioned something about some kind of rings that had been drawn in there, which was the basis for the idea about the bracer. There had been thousands of little notes to himself in there. Something inside of him was reaching out, trying to tell him something important that he had forgotten.

It was simple. He needed answers. He had always sought out the answers to his questions. He was always on a quest for knowledge, and the answers he needed would probably be in that book. He gripped the bracer and began searching around his room for where he might have set it. David was known for a lot of things. He was smart, talented, and very capable. Keeping his bedroom clean was not one of them. His dorm itself stayed relatively clean, for the most part, but he could not keep a clean bedroom. Towers upon towers of books, piles of scrolls and parchment, hundreds of quills and pens, drawings and scribblings thumbtacks to the walls in overlapping layers, so that bits and pieces of each could be seen. In all of this mess, hidden somewhere, was his notebook. He remembered setting it down before going to bed.

"This would be incredibly more simple if I had my wand." David grumbled to himself in irritation, lifting up his bed enough to look underneath. He was not surprised to see several open boxes with more scrolls in them. Real easy, he thought, _Accio Locket_ and poof, it would fly out at him. Eventually, he found it hiding amongst a small pile of books near his window, and he carefully pulled the book free from its pile.

David ran his hand over the leather cover, his nose catching the scent of it. David was really not a big fan of leather. Its smell always bothered him, as did its texture, and the thought of butchering other animals just to cover a book seemed pointless. But, Gavid still purchased this leather bound notebook because of its magical properties. First, it would always have clean fresh paper for him to write on, it would produce more pages when he needed them. Second, the first page had been enchanted to introduce the reader to its contents. When he bought it, it was no thicker than fifty pages, but as he filled it, it grew thicker. it was now the size of a length school textbook, much like the Math and Science books he had in his middle school.

He stared at the book for a long time without opening it. He was slightly scared of what he would find inside. What would he learn about himself from this book? His other self. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and he gently opened the front cover. The introduction page was staring back at him, laying blank for a few seconds before a message slowly appeared.

The handwriting was unfamiliar to him. Methodical and measured, like someone was handwriting the most important letter in the history of the world for everyone to be able to clearly read.

_"Good Morning, David. I am glad that we can finally have a chance to talk."_, It read.

"Good morning?" David said hesitantly. It took a few moments for him to realize nothing was happening. He grasped a quill and an ink well, and wrote it down instead. His writing faded from view.

"_You do not have to be afraid of the contents in this notebook, you know. It is simply written knowledge."_

"What are you?" David wrote, saying the words as he wrote them.

_"I am a book."_, it replied.

"Great, a book. Wonderful." He grumbled, before he wrote. "What kind of book?"

_"This was simply the easiest way for you to being to process a whole lot of information in your mind. Some of it had always been there, but recently, you added more than you could understand at once, so everything is being transfered into this notebook. This is all to help you understand and realize this information at your own pace. To others, the information is encoded and they will not be able to understand most of the contents. This protects the knowledge you possess from falling into the wrong hands."_

"What kind of information."

_"Here is the simplest answer that I can give, in words that you can understand:_

_ All Elves can share their thoughts. They call it the Hive, a vast network of minds and lost information, similar to an ancient library. The memories and knowledge of every elf in history exists within the catacombs of the Hive. You have always been able to access this subconciously until now, but now you must be made aware of it._

_ In addition to all of that information, you now bear the knowledge of the Lost Runes._

_ No more books. You have little more to learn from them, and there is hardly any space left for more knowledge. What you know is the unclouded and unaltered truth and facts about magic, untainted by centuries of theory and prejudice. To prevent you from learning unuseful information, you will suffer headaches as a warning._

_ You will understand very little of the contents herein. It is your responsibility to accquire the required skills and knowledge to decode and decypher the contents. Until then, the information will be scrabbled and illegible._

_ Are you ready to begin?"_

David read it twice to make sure he understood what it had said. Even in the simplest terms, it was all a little much to take in and process at once. Slowly, we wrote his reply.

"Yes." As his words faded, new words appeared in large fancy Gothic lettering.

_"Tome of David Crowley and the Lost Runes."_ it read.

David's heart nearly leapt from his chest when he heard the sound of footsteps in his room.

"Lose track of time, David?" his vistor wondered. David's head snapped to his window, the morning sun has risen far above the horizon. It was sometime after breakfast and he was supposed to be at lessons. Guilt flooded David as he realized he had indeed lost track of time and forgotten all about breakfast and his lessons with Professor Merlin.

"Sorry Professor." David apologized, getting up immediately to start getting ready for lessons. Without thinking, he set his book on his desk and moved into the bathroom for a quick shower.

"What is this you are reading?" Professor Merlin called through the door as David pulled off his pajamas.

"Just some notes and theories that I wrote down." David said. It was not a lie, but it was not the whole truth either.

"I am going to have to confiscate this, David." Merlin said sternly. David froze.

"I'm sorry?" David asked, stepping into the doorway.

"I am quite sure you heard be correctly." The Professor replied. He was not mad, or being mean. He said it nicely as if he were asking David about the weather. "I have to take this away from you."

"Why?" David demanded heatedly. He felt like he was being robbed and betrayed by a man he trusted.

"Do you remember me telling you something yesterday in my office?" Professor Merlin asked nicely, remaining calm. "While taking my lessons, you are restricted from extracurricular studies. This book was not cleared by the School Board. The theories in this notebook could be dangerous. You might even unknowingly delve into the Dark Arts, David."

"You don't know that." David replied, all fire and brimstone. "Everything in that book came from within my mind. My ideas. Those are my theories that you are accusing of being a Dark Art, Professor."

"Which is why I am showing concern." Merlin replied, very seriously. "It is extremely easy for a young wizard to become misguided and follow the path into darkness. You...are a first year student. Naive? Uneducated? Gullible? This is how you would discribe most first year students. I happen to think you are far above most of our students. Your mind is unique. It is special, and extraordinarily powerful. Spells that fully fledged wizards have a hard time performing are easily within your grasp, and you are still just a boy."

"These...theories. They could be anything you can imagine. How are you to know if they are restricted or immoral? How can you be sure it is not a Dark Art?"

"What makes them Dark Arts?" David exclaimed. "I am not stupid, Professor. I know wrong from right. The moral from the immoral. I can make the correct decision based on what I know to be right, and you have NO RIGHT...to say otherwise! Who placed such limits on knowledge, even to those who would not abuse them? Do you think anyone who learns anything of the Dark Arts automatically becomes a Dark Wizard and begins running around and slaughtering people? The line between them is so thin that it is nearly invisible, and it isn't a straight line either. It moves back and forth like a twisted snake, because every person views the world through a different pair of eyes. What is right and just to one man, is immoral and wretched in the eyes of another man somewhere. There is no right or wrong except what each man decides for himself is the line. I choose to ride that line. I will follow my path no matter what side it may take, unimpeded by restrictions or fears, and I will stay who I am. So, if you are so worried about what I learned, and have to learn...so worried that I might take "the wrong path" then I'm sorry, Professor, but you need to sit down and really think about who I really am!"

The Professor stared into his eyes for an eternity. What thoughts ran behind those eyes that looked far older than the man that stood before him? Suddenly, the stare softened and a small smile graced the man's face.

"Good, David. Much earlier than expected, but good. I am glad." Merlin said with his small smile. "I have to honest with you then, David. I have not told you the whole truth."

"About what?" David said, slightly nervous. As he watched him, Professor Merlin seemed to shimmer, and his skin grew paler. Wrinkles folded his skin and age spots appeared, as Merlin's hair grew a silvery gray. Standing before him now was a much older man, but he still moved with the same life and energy as he had before.

"Merlin was not my ancestor. In fact, my great grandchildren all died in a war a great many years ago, thus ending any chances of that." Merlin said, smiling nicely as he always had.

"Then, you are actually THE Merlin?" David wondered. "How? Why?"

"There are a great many ways for one to achieve immortality, David. As for the reasons, you could say that I am like you, always in search of the answers to my questions. By the time I was already an old man, I still had a great many questions I wished to know the answers to. Over the years, I have learned many of them, and have watched every conceivable horror that man has to offer as they turned on themselves. With all this, I came to a great and final conclusion.

"And what is that, Professor?"

"People. Are. Stupid." Merline replied. "Like sheep, each blindly following the one before them, staying with the crowd, hating who they are taught to hate, eating what they are told to eat. There is little free will in the world any more. Most of it has been replaced by prejudice and injustice. People do nothing. As long as they are happy, they do not notice or care, because they feel as it does not concern them."

"The Wizarding World is no different really. Ancient dogmas still remain, two nations hate each other on long ancient history between people who are long dead. If anything, Wizards have become even more narrow minded and ignorant in the last four hundred years. Schools teach the same magic as the previous generation year after year after year. In all my years, I do not think I can recall a single spell that has changed. They think that everything there is to know about magic has already been discovered, and a new level of laziness has overcome each and every generation. Witches and wizards no longer do anything with thier bare hands, since magic is the most convienient crutch is existence. No one really works, no one really cares, and magic is becoming a stagent pool as each century more people fail to explore the possibilities around them, instead of thinking of more ways to make life easier, or the next greatest amusement."

"What are you trying to say, Professor?" David wondered.

"Magic is alive." Merlin replied. "And as such, it is dying, because no one around it has done anything to contribute to it in several hundred years. The people who do are called great men, even legends, but that does nothing. A grain of sand does not stop a drowning man from drowning."

"Then why do you need me?"

"It is quite simple, David. This." Merlin said, tossing the notebook to David. "I know about the Lost Runes, David. I know what they are. You spoke them to me yourself. However, that does not mean that I possess their knowledge. That knowledge, used in the proper manner, could change the entire world." Merlin began to laugh almost maniacally. "To think the answers to my final questions could be in your mind. I look forward to great things from you, David. But, first, we must finish your lessons."

"Sir..."

"Enough questions for now, David." Merlin said, looking suddenly old and tired. "All you need to do is perform your lessons obediantly and read that book. I taught many great wizards the same way I am teaching you now, so for now, stay quiet and do as you are told."

"Yes Professor." David said quietly. David set his book on the bed and pulled a clean shirt over his naked torso, then followed Merlin through the mirror to perform his lessons.


	23. Chapter 23

It was dark. Somewhere very dark and moist. The air was thick, heavy, warm, and wet. Deep in this abyss, something began to stir as it awoke. It had been asleep for a very long time. It had known nothing but sleep since the Master ordered them to go into hibernation. It and all its brethren.

Its seven black eyes slid open two sets of eyeslids each, and it surveys the condition of the deep moldy cave they had slumbered. The mouth opened, revealing several dozen long, grey, dagger-like fangs that lined the inside of its mouth. A long, spined, whip-like tongue lashed out with a loud crack, glands that covered the tongue catching the sweet scent of nearby food. It grew so hungry, a thin membrane slide over its eyes. This membrane was see-through, but protected the eyes from blood while it fed.

Slowly, testing for any problems after being asleep for so long, it uncurled itself from the tight ball it had formed when it went to sleep. Its head was very long and alien, a thick plate armored the top of its skull, while the rest of it was a scaly paper white. Similar plate plates covered its shoulders, back, thighs, and other vitals. It dangled from the ceiling from its tail, the sharp spear-like stinger stuck deep in the ancient stone. It was nearly a meter and a half long, and more than powerful enough to hold the complete body weight of its owner.

Long, bony blades were its hands should have been, except for a large raptor claw where the thumb should have been. Its evolution granted it a second pair of arms below the first, near the bottom of its boney ribcage. The hands on these were massive, each finger bearing a wicked claw for tearing its victims apart. It yanked its tail free and free fell several feet before landing on all six limbs. Its hoof like feet and legs were very similar to other creatures on this this planet, like the horse, but they were attached to two very powerful legs that could propel its frame at high speeds. It stood nearly seven feet tall when it put all its weight on its hind legs.

A long chilling hiss emanated from its maw, and a clicking noise was made a bone on each side of its head. It shook, and each time it taped a hard nob on its skull, making a clear and distinct click that echoed throughout the cave. This awoke its breathren, which still lay asleep above it. All twenty thousand of them who were still alive after all this time answered the call.

It was the leader, the Alpha in control of the Swarm. When they spotted their Alpha, they hissed and hunched down to one knee in supplication. The Alpha flicked out its tongue again to smell the air. The others followed the example, the smell of the nearby foor filling their smell glands.

"Tiiiiimmmee...tooo...feeeeeeeed..." The Alpha hissing rasp commanded. If anyone had heard the Alpha speak, they would have been horrified at the grasp at english it had. The Alpha itself had no idea how it learned the language, but it must have been a gift from the Master. They all roared in beastial compliance, suddenly extremely hungry after their long sleep, and rampaged through the tunnel toward the source of the delicious smell hovering above them. The cave wound back and forth, but nothin slowed their ferocious pace. When the floor was covered in stone from a recent collapse, they simply ran up the walls and climbed on teh ceiling as if they were spiders. They were faster on four legs than one would have guessed. They ran like cheetahs, their body stretching and compressing in amazing precision. They zipped by, shadows in the dark and they made no sound. They did not want their food to run away.

Humans, the Alpha recalled. They never did taste good, but the taste of meat after so long made a thick drool rise from its mouth. Master's orders were absolute, and not a single member of the pack was complaining.

They were no longer running through caves, but worked stone and metal piping. They funneled into the tight concrete without missing a single step, and entered the sewers. After a few hundred feet, they came to their first manhole, and burst out into the city. For the first time in over a century, fresh air and daylight graced their skin.

Blood everywhere. Pieces of human beings assaulted by ravenous death. Tearing their flesh, biting through meat, and rending apart bone with ease. Screams and schoes of horrified human faces. Endless hissing and snarling.

David awoke screaming, his body trying to shake away the feeling of being eaten. His thoughts were extremely chaotic as he leapt out of the bed. The blankets wrapped around his legs, causing him to trip and crash into the ground on his chest, blowing the air from his lungs. Frantically pulling in long breathes, David crawled desperately toward the bathroom, and rolled himself into the deep tub. Water began showering on him, fully dressed as he lay there trembling, looking around in a panic in the brightly lit tiled bathroom. His body was warm, but the water hitting his skin felt like ice. One thing was for certain. That was not a dream. David had vivid dreams from time to time, but this was on a whole different scale than anything he had before. Something, somewhere, was attacking and eating people. Images flashed before his eyes of one of those creatues feasting on the innards of a screaming child, its tiny fists beating helplessly against the hard plate of the monster's skull. The child could not have been more than four years old. David watched him die slowly, and the creature continued to feed.

David spun in the tub and began throwing up violently on his hands and knees. More flashes came, causing David to flinch and whimper before he continued throwing up, even after he had emptied everything he had. Another violent flash overtook him and he saw something he recognized. Statues. Four statues standing before a grand building.

"Oh Gods, they're in Oasis." David groaned, covering his mouth in horror as tears rolled from his eyes. Still crying, David slowly stood up and stripped off his clothes, leaving them soaking on the bathroom floor. He reentered his bedroom and opened a special panel in the wall. Inside was the Mageweave armor he had received in the Armory.

David lifted the red tunic over his head and watched it change again. The sleeves shorted to his mid bicep and it lengthened into a swallow-tailed suit. A chest pocket on the left side appeared and a deep red gothic cross appeared in the center of it. Underneath, David felt a tight fabric spread accross his torso and down his arms and over his hands. Black fishnet, magically reinforced, covered his vitals, but left his abdoment and his fingers bare. On his left side,red, vertically aligned runes scrolled around to the small of his back. Metal fiber sleeves formed around his arms, but stopped just below his elbow and connected themselves to the shirt with three thin silver chains. This time, however, the suit crafted a black belted pair of leather pants that fit him perfectly. He reached in a drew out his Aegis, then fixed it to his hip, the black straps looping around his waist and torso. He drew the blade to make sure it was not sticking in the scabbard. Once he was satisfied with its sharpness, David returned it to its sheath then closed the cabinet. He pulled on his boots over the leather pants, and slid in his dagger. On his left arm, David slid on his new forearm bracer and flexed his arm testingly. When he did, the gem glowed brightly and filled his arm with warmth. He still had no idea what it did, but something inside of him called out.

"_Accio Wand_." he said and thrust out his hand, palm up. Deep inside, he felt a small concussion and knew it worked. Making a sound like a shrill whistle, it tore through the air to reach its master. Like a bullet, it tore through the magically reinforced wall and landed neatly in his palm. The shock of power as they reconnected cracked every wall in his bedroom and a deep thunder shook the entire castle. David tossed it into his right hand, smiling like a little child, happy with the reunion, before it disappeared, replaced by a furious look. David felt his finger, and made sure his ring was on, before moving to Ashe's cage.

"I'm going to need you to hold onto something for me, okay?" he spoke softly to his friend. He moved to his desk and quickly wrote a note, apologizing to the Professor and explaining where he had gone. "Give this to the Professor when he come looking for me. I still have a few hours until class, but I don't know how long I will be gone. Okay?" Ashe chirped as she took the scroll in her talons, peering at him in what David took to be concern.

"I'll be okay." He reassured her. David slid his wand into a special sleeve for it on his right forearm, and surveyed his room. He wanted his Tome, he thought. It might have some information on what these things were and how to kill them. Without hesitating, David spun on his heel and walked into the mirror. He crouched low and surveyed Professor Merlin's office for the old man. David held out his left arm and whispered, "_Revelio_", causing a faint wave of light purple to wash through the entire room. Confident there was no one there, David stood up a bit more.

"_Lumos._" David muttered, making a bright globe of light hover in his hand. "_Accio Tome._" David heard chains rattle somewhere in the back of the office.

"Looking for something, Mr. Crowley?" a voice asked, making David freeze in his steps. It was not Professor Merlin. David slowly went around the corner to see Headmaster Elemanty sitting calmly in a chair. In her hand, she held open the Tome of the Lost Runes, slipping calmly through the pages one after another. The smell that always hovered around her was far more potent than ever, he noticed, wincing as he caught a whiff of it.

"Very interesting, Mr. Crowley." She remarked, closing it with a snap. "What does it say, I wonder."

"Where is Professor Merlin?" David asked, his instincts spiking wildly. "Why are you in his office without his permission?"

"Oh, on the contrary, he is right over there." She replied, pointing into the far corner. David turned his palm to the corner and nearly collapsed. Strapped to a table, covered in hundreds of bleeding cuts, was Professor Merlin, ancient and withered in his true form. "The Old One took quite a lot of energy to make him reveal this book's location, even for someone with my unique talents." David's anger exploded through his body and out of his left as he reached out as if to grab her, then pulled it back violently. His goal was to pull her close, so that he could knock her out, but instead her arm exploded in a spray of blood. The blood was dark, with small black chunks. Professor Elemanty hardly noticed, her skin sagging off her bones as she stood, her bones cracking as she tried to move.

"Do not get me wrong, Mr. Crowley. I have waited quite a while to get you alone. This body has been dead for quite some time. I do believe she has begun decomposing on me." A voice came from Elemanty's mouth as it hung open on a dislocated jaw like a loudspeaker.

"Who are you!" David yelled, knocking out one the corpse's legs. It did not fall over, it just stood there staring at him as it continued to fall apart. Staring into the dead vacant eyes, David felt the answer creep into him.

"Gylel'drazi." David said, taking aim. The corpse's eyes rolled white, while a horrible unearthly high pitched scream came from its mouth before David blew off its head with a sharp burst of air. The body teetered there for a moment, before falling heavily to the ground and crumbling apart. She had been dead for over a year.

David ran over to Professor Merlin and popped him free of the chains. The Professor was alive, barely, but unconcious. Carefully, David lifted Professor Merlin up and over his shoulder. With his left hand, he called the Tome to him and slid it into a special pouch in the small of his back, underneath the tunic.

"I've got you, Professor." David said, walking to the door. He lifted the bar and pulled it open. Beyond were two skeletons, fresh red blood still staining their bones, weapons at the ready. David screamed as he slammed the door closed and dropped the bar to lock it. It did little as the undead creatures smashed through it easily, causing David to duck into the bay window. They came around the corner, and spotted David. He set out a shockwave as he opened the glass and leapt out.

The freefall reminded David of how high they were, and he began yelling frantically. He spun the inner band of his ring, let it continue as he plummeted quickly toward the Main Hall's roofing.

"_BOMBARDA MAXIMA!_" David screamed, aiming carefully. A large explosion erupted on the roof, clearing stone and tile away as David soared past and into the Dining Hall full of screaming students below. Twisting mid-air, David drove his right hand out just before he hit the ground. All the force from his fall was redirected to the floor instead of his body. When he landed, he dropped to one knee with his right hand pressed into the ground as it caved it in a massive circle. The tables nearby were blown into tiny splinters and the air rushed upwards past him. He was trembling and surprised. He had acted complete without thought, and nearly killed himself in the process. Professor Merlin's weight on his shoulder shook him to his senses and he ran as fast as possible to the Medical Wing.

"David! David, what is happening? I heard there was some kind of commotion?" David turned to see Vlad sprinting to catch up with them. "Is that Professor Merlin!"

"Yes, Vlad, now go and inform a teacher that Professor Elemanty is dead in Merlin's room, and two undead skeletons are walking about in the east tower." David ordered quickly.

"Don't give me that fucking dumbass look, go do it right the fuck now!" David yelled when he saw Vladimir hesitating to act. David hardly cared as he rushed the last couple minutes to the Medical Wing and kicked in the door.

"NURSE!" David screamed, moving to the nearest bed and carefully setting Professor Merlin down as she came out from her office.

"Dear lord! What happened?" she wondered.

"He was attacked by the Headmistress. No time to explain now, take care of him. I have something I need to take care of." David explained as he raced out of the room and down the Hall. He reached into a pouch at his hip and pulled out a handful of Floo Powder he managed to find in the Potions stores. He turned down a hall and saw the fireplace he was looking for at the end. He sprinted, feeling the wand fill him with magic, propelling him forward at a rate beyond anything he had experienced. He dropped into a skid before the fireplace, threw the powder in, and yelled, "OASIS", just before he crashed. The Floo Powder and green flames enveloped him and pulled him away from Trinity Academy.


	24. Chapter 24

Everything was dark when he rolled out of a fireplace, presumably somewhere inside Oasis. He could hear screams and cried for help somewhere outside the darkly lit room. He could smell fire, the smoke and lingering scent of something burning filled his nostrils. He stayed low in order to prevent himself from inhaling too much smoke.

"_LUMOS!_" David yelled, spinning on one foot and thrusting out his left palm to the dark corner furthest from him. Huddled in the corner was a quivering huddle of blankets and the sound of soft whimpers. Cautiously, he slipped closer to it and carefully lifted the edge. Hiding inside was a tiny little girl, maybe 3 or 4 years of age. She was filthy, covered in dirt, soot, and browned stains for dry blood that was not her own. Two large blue eyes stared at him fearfully from behind that dark dirt mask. She was utterly terrified, but David could tell she was a smart girl. Clutched in her tiny little hand was a steak knife covered in a thick tar-like liquid. David dropped the globe, and instead of going out, it fell softly on the ground and stayed there.

"Hey there." he said gently. "My name is David. What's your name?" Her eyes flicked up and down him, seeming to judge whether or not he was real.

"A- Abby..." She muttered, adjusting the knife in her hand.

"Abby. That's a pretty name. You know that? Where are your parents, honey?" He hesitated to ask, looking around the room hoping to see them watching him from another corner. Tears welled up in those big blue eyes, but she kept her emotions in check. Smart girl.

"The monsters took them." She replied quietly. David pet her hair with as much kindness as he could.

"Okay. That's enough." David said quietly to her. "Let's see if we can get you clean, huh? Has to be a little girl under all of this." His left hand had been on her shoulder. Before he could take it away, a burst of air washed over her and cleaned her from head to toe. Her hair was a sweet blonde, matching her blue eyes perfectly. It was all shine and waves, gently tucked into She was just as surprised as he was, but he quickly pushed it into the back of his mind and focused on her.

"There. That's better, isn't it? Hard to tell there was a pretty little girl under all that mess." David said, gently taking her small hand so that she dropped her knife. "Let's get you someplace safe? Okay?"

"No." She objected fearfully. "The monsters will get me."

"I'll protect you." he reassured her, a small smile gracing his face. "I promise you will be okay." It was a bit of a lie, to be honest. He was not entirely sure if he could do anything against the monsters he had seen, but if he could get her someplace safe, it was more than worth it. David momentarily wondered if he had gone insane, running into the most dangerous place he could imagine all by himself. What had he been thinking?

He quickly check his pouches for any safer options. He had only a handful of Floo Powder left, and he was not sure he wanted to use it just yet. If he used it to get her away to safety, then he would be stuck here with those. If there was any other safe option left, David wanted to reserve that one for last.

"David...I'm scared." Abby admitted softly, gripping tighter on David's hand. He looked at her sit there shivering, and knelt down slowly, looking into her eyes.

"Come here." David said nicely, pulling her into a soft hug. She stiffened for a moment, then pressed her face into his chest and began to cry. She cried like no one David had every heard before. It was not a child's cry. It was not out of anger or greediness that he had heard in the supermarkets from spoiled children. This was from a child who had experienced true loss, and was not sure what to do. She did not scream or move besides her trembling and breathing, but David sat there and waited quietly. How many times did he want to be held like this when he was a boy? He wanted to cry and be held just like he was holding her now. He may be a stranger, but he was someone that could comfort her in her time of need. He was the someone he had always wanted as a child. She is alone and afraid, parents gone, home destroyed. It was the least David could do to be there for her. She was just a little girl. She did nothing wrong. Nothing to deserve this harshness.

"Abby, we need to move. You just hold onto me like this, okay?" She nodded her head as he held with his left arm and stood up. With his right hand, he drew his Aegis and held it between his legs. He twisted the end and slid in his wand before grasping it firmly. He looked along the edge of the blade before holding it close to his face and whispering to it softly in Elvish.

_"In the arcane brilliance of the light, I shine. _

_In the abyssal embrace of the night, I am invincible. _

_In the eternal serenity of peace, I grow._

_In the ferocious blazing fires of war, I fight._

_I am defender of my people._

_I am the bane of the unclean._

_I am death._

_Say my name, and I am yours._

_Leyna'athas, the Ashes of Autumn Night."_

Leyna'athas shifted into its true form, its raw beauty seemed to dim everything around them. His Mageweave armor shifted slightly, his right sleeve morphing into a silver armor made from several overlapping metal plates. It went all the way up his arm to a single pauldron which latched itself around David with several brown belts with silver buckles. The armor seemed to latch around David's hand, securing Leyna'athas to his hand, so that he did not have to worry about dropping it. His pants shifted and made a similar set of leg armor that buckled in the back.

"Hold on tight, Abby." he said softly into her hair, feeling her grip tighten on his clothes.

David moved quickly, but silently, just like he had been taught in school. If anyone had been watching, they would not have seen him move. He made his way down a set of stairs and into the main lobby. It looked as if the Floo Powder had taken him to the local Inn. The lobby was full of broken furniture, smashed in walls, and blood splatters everywhere. Making his way to the front door, he nudge it a bit, and looked outside through the thin opening.

The artificial sky was pitch black from the smoke and soot from numerous fires that lit up the city. Panic and terror was sweeping the streets. Thousands upon thousands of monsters were erupting from the sewers throughout the town. They moved as if they see what others could not, almost as if acting under a guiding force that no one else could hear. They did not seem to care about gravity or what was in their way. They swarmed around like an erupting hive of spiders.

They met a familiar opposition in the form of an army of wizards. They stood in a firm line that formed a circle around the center of Oasis. They fought as others ran past them for safety. They were all running for the protection of the bank, Atlas, which had thick walls and formidible protection. The city was slowly burning to the ground around them, advancing building to building. David was behind enemy lines. How far was the front line? He could see the fighting down the street from time to time through gaps in the army of monsters that tore through them. A massive rolling fireball split the army in half, killing only a handful, but it was more than enough for David to judge the distance.

"3 miles." David whispered to himself. A creature dropped down into the street just outside the door and flicked out its tongue. It was just like in his dream, but the smell that came with it was something all together different. It was like sulphur, but insanely powerful. Its seven eyes looked all around it as if trying to place something it could not find. Its skin was so white, but it looked thick enough to be leather hide.

It flicked out its tongue again, then turned its head to stare directly at David's hiding spot. His heart skipped a beat as he hastily retreated from the door and up the stairs three at a time. He just rounded the corner when he heard the front door splinter open. The sound that came from down stairs was similar to an elephant's roar, but so loud that Abby's little fingers began tearing into David's skin.

Hot lead poured through David's veins as he ran as hard as he could toward the window. He leapt towards it and spun around just before he crashed through it, flying backwards through a shower of glass to see the monster mid-air before him. David aimed Leyna'athas at it, his index pointing at it along the flat of the blade, and fired off several bolts of fire that thudded into its thick hide. It wounded the creature, but it was far from dead. It hardly even seemed to notice the burning holes in its white skin.

David had jumped farther than he thought. He had gone maybe 25 feet before he noticed this, but he had already reached the apex of the height and speed, and was now beginning to fall. He placed his feet between him and the monster just before he slammed back first through a reinforced brick wall. The wall slowed him just enough for David's feet to prevent the monster from tearing into him as he drove his Aegis deep into the center of its skull. He landed on his back, smashing through a coffee table, and skidded a few feet as the monster dropped lifeless to the ground just below his feet. They had landed in a vacant house somewhere off the main central of Oasis

His breathing was heavy, and his back was throbbing madly. He opened his arm and looked down to see Abby still clutching to him, white powdered stone covered her head.

"Abby, you okay?" he wheezed. She simply nodded in response, which was enough to make David happy. He patted her head gently before rising to his feet and pulling Leyna'athas from the creature's skull. It had a thick coat of tar-like blood on the blade, which David wiped off on the corpse. A nearby snarling told David that he had more company just before two more creatures burst through the windows. David reacted instantly, slicing one cleanly in half along its abdomen, using the momentum to spin around and cleave into the back of his second attacker. They both yelps like dogs just before they died, alerting their comrades of his existence.

"Sonofa-" David cursed under his breath before catching himself and stopping short. He ran. He held Abby close to him and sprinted as fast as he could away from the bodies. He did not get far before the sound of claws digging through the ground caught up behind him. He ducked into an alley just as talons swipped through the air where he had just been. He glanced back as several creatures flew by the narrow alleyway. David aimed the sword at the ground before him and said, "_Laquestio_" causing a faint circle of shimmering light to fill the middle of the alley. He ran past it and turned the first corner. Seconds later, he heard several shreiks of surprise as vines, ropes, and chains trapped his pursuers momentarily before they tore through their bonds.

"_Laquestio. Gardio Mortal. Fortifi ._" David said frantically, aiming his Aegis at critical spots along his path to defend himself. He could heard them going off and conjuring walls behind him, not even 5 seconds after he had laid them. A single creature landed in the alley before him, but David simply aimed his Aegis at it and yelled, "_Valumruri!_" A invisible wall slammed into the monster and pushed it back as David continued to run. After a few moments, the spell wore off, but not before David was able to make it around another tight corner and filled the path behind him with solid ice. He did not stop to see if there more coming after him, but he skid to a stop to consider what lay before. The path began to descend deeper, into the tunnels. The tunnels were their home turf, and going in there completely ruined any advantage he may have had to survive this.

Something zoomed past David's head and stuck into the ice behind him with a sharp pang. Sensing something dangerous in the dark, David spun, pulled the weird dart-like object out of the ice while he vaulted on top of it. Another whistled past him as he turned the corner again. Not wanting to stay inside the tight corridors of the alleys anymore, David poured energy into his legs, leap to the side of the building, kicked out a foot on a landing, and lauched himself up to the ledge of the building. He barely made the grab, the fingers of his right hand grasping the ledge.

"Abby, put your arms around my neck and hold on." he said, his arm shaking to hold up the weight. She complied immediately, and David swung up his left hand, allowing him to pull them up and over the edge.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" David asked her, catching his breath for a moment. She shook her head quietly and he turned to examine the dart that was fired at him. It was a projectile of some sort. Almost like a mix between a bullet and an arrow, but where the arrow shaft should have gone was a small squirming tenticle. It was tri-pronged, almost like a trident with all the points meeting in the middle, giving it the look of a bladed bullet. It was organic, and David could feel a small pulse within it. Disgusted, he dropped it to the ground and stomped on it. A big splatter of black blood sprayed out, and a high-pitched screech echoed from underground where the tunnel had been.

Thunder rolled through the artificial sky as the warm air from the fires began to combat with the colder air of the upper cake. Magic still boggled David's mind sometimes. There he was, standing in a cave deep underground, experiencing the beginnings of a thunderstorm.

"_Reflecto Circumfri._" he said, casting a small baseball-sized shield in his hand. "_Flagrate Inferni Maxima._" He watched the shield warp as it was filled with a large amount of flames. He had managed to create the magical equivilent of a grenade, he realized. Shrugging it away for later experimentation, David directed the bomb into the tunnel, then lobbed it into the darkness. Seconds later, a huge explosion cracked the pavement. Flames, smoke, and the smell of sulfur erupted from the nearby manholes. Satisfied, he began vaulting the roof tops with a ridiculous amount of ease. He reached the front lines in little over twenty minutes, constantly having to stop and check his surroundings.

It was not long before more of them picked up his scent and picked up the chase. This time, there was a lot more of them. In order to get to safety, he had run over the conflict line, and those that were not involved in battle decided he was easy pray.

"_Protego!_" David screamed, spinning around as teeth slammed into his shield. The shield was close to a meter wide, covering the entire rooftop. If they wanted to go around, that meant diving into the battle that was going on below. David constantly plunged his Aegis through the shield to score a deep wound on his enemies.

"Abby, honey. I need you to run." David said, struggling to maintain his stance as more and more slammed into his shield. She shook her head and clung tighter to his neck. David saw one coming over the edge of the building on his right, so he swung his Aegis at it, yelling, "_Stupefy!_" The result was a blade of red light soaring through the air and slamming into the monster so hard it flew back in an almost comical effect.

"I'll be alright. You're almost there. I just need you to be a big girl and run there, okay? I'll meet you soon." David reassured her dispite having his feet slide backwards. He was being pushed back by their numbers. Bright flashes of light followed by several hard concussions knocked all the creatures back and off the rooftop. Several of Oasis' defenders appeared at David's side and looked around for more enemies.

"Here, take her." David said to a witch nearby. "Perhaps one of you know her and can get her to somewhere safe."

"That's Abigail Newgate." The witch replied in surprise. "They ran the Inn in town. How did she survive?"

"That's really not important right now. Just get her out here." David repeated himself. She walked up and gently grasped Abby's shoulders, but Abby refused to release her grip around his neck.

"You too." She said, her voice muffled by David's chest.

"What?" he asked, blinking at her. She slowly turned his face up to him and repeated herself. "You have to come with me. You have to be safe."

"Now's not the time for that, Abby." he objected. "I have to help out here."

"Who says? You may be a big kid, but you're still a kid." She retorted, her face scrunching up into a pout. David's mouth worked soundlessly as he tried to think of a polite way to reply. Damn, she was smart for a toddler. Cupped her face in his hand and smiled at her.

"Sorry about this. _Somonus._" A light flashed in her eyes, and she fell fast asleep. He caught her before she fell and handed her over to the lady who recognized her. "Get her safe."

David watched Abby's sleeping face just before the witch turned on her heel and Apparated away. He stared at the spot she had been, then gently ran his hand over the warm spot where her body had been. He would probably see her again, but he would miss her. He had bonded with her in her time of need. He pulled himself away from those thoughts and turned to the battlefield. It was time for some offense.


	25. Chapter 25

The citizens of Oasis who stayed behind to buy some time were huddled around a small fire made from broken down furniture. Chairs and desks mostly, but it was more for comfort, not for warmth. A warm breeze blew through the cavern, powered by the blistering heat of the still burning fires. The monsters had stopped attacking sometime before nightfall, and had stayed quiet the past hour. The only sound besides the distant roar of the flames was the small coughs and whispers of the surviving defenders. David had never understood why they said that flames could roar until he listened to them. The fire had engulfed nearly the entire city. Houses and shops once filled with wonderous objects now were being reduced to charred remains before their very eyes. Some cried, some said nothing at all, but there was a very heavy sense of loss that clung to the air. It was very heavy, dark, and sad, but the shoulders that bore them handled the weight well.

Everyone had quickly fallen back to the bank after a short discussion about shelter. It was the easiest place to protect themselves for an extended period of time. The thick stone walls would provide sufficient defense as well as protection from the fire. Since it was atop a hill, it seemed like the "high ground" and allowed for a full view to watch out for enemies. They spent nearly half an hour barricading any undefendable positions. It was amazing what magic could do when a group of witches and wizards put their minds to it. The entire area leading up to the bank was like a minefield of magic spells. Line after line of offensive and defensive spells, curses, and jinxes were piled on on top of the other like an onion. Anything that came at them would be assaulted again and again by spells. Even now, they were still reinforcing them and adding new layers. David simply sat and watched.

A kind, middle aged woman was applying a wet washcloth to a cut on his forehead, trying to clean up the dried blood that remained after she had healed it. David had pushed himself past exhaustion until the point that he was practically on autopilot, going out and killing as many of those monsters as he could before he was forced to come back. He felt numb. Time and time again, he was told to try and leave, but he always refused. He was covered in wounds of all varieties, ranging from claw marks to small three prongs holes from when he got shot by an enemy. They had come up with names for each of them, depending on what they could do within the large army. It had been nearly two hours since David arrived, foolishly believing he would make much of a difference. He realized that he was still just a student, no matter how talented he was. These were witches and wizards who had graduated from school and had several more years in experience than he was. He was like the greenhorn of the group, constantly getting in the way. His Aegis sat uselessly in its sheath at his side. He was capable at magic, but he had forgotten several key elements that made it what it was. He always charged into the enemy and fought them in close range. He was never as effective as a well placed spell from the distance. He had witnessed some amazing magic.

However, magic has its limitation. The hundreds of bodies littering the plaza leading up to Atlas looked like something from a grim mosaic. Blood ran down the many tiered steps from torn limbs and sundered bodies that once contained life and personality. Their faces frozen in statuesque moment of incredible and unbearable pain that had lance through their nerves. No matter how powerful, or smart, or unique a man was, mortality was a very frim mistress. David had never really watched someone die before. The moment they go from being a human being to being nothing but a lifeless object had reduced him to spasms of racking vomit that debilitated him in combat. Now, he just felt numb. Even the cold water from the wash cloth felt like noise in the background.

He came across some familiar faces within the ranks of the defenders. He stuck close to them and provided what assistance he could. He was like the messenger boy, running back and forth between groups, relaying messages and acting as an extra wand which aided in the defense. Mr. Luke, the man who had examined him upon his arrival to Oasis with Father Thomas, sat mangled and tired in a heap in the corner. He had been overwhelmed by a half dozen Brutes and when they got close, they began hacking him apart. David managed to fight them off slightly, long enough to drag Mr. Luke to safety to receive proper medical care.

Brutes were slow, but extremely nasty in close range. They had thicker armor covering more of their soft white flesh than the others. They would cloister themselves within the armor and charge the defensive lines. When up close, the Brutes could slam and ram themselves through most obstacles, but their large scythe-like claws would rend stone while they tried to get their large hands on you to tear you apart. The only way to kill them was to team up and blast them in a combined assault. It rarely worked, but it normally forced them to retreat. The fact that David had managed to fight a handful of them away by himself had earned himself some respect within the defenders.

"How much longer until help arrives?" Mr. Luke murmured to the old gentleman sitting next to him. Mr. Rowes flinched in surprise at being addressed, but David could see the old wandmaker thinking behind the veil of fear in his eyes.

"About an hour, at least." Mr. Rowes replied. A white ball of smokey light drifted into the center of the bank, then formed into a turtle.

"They're coming." The turtle called out. No one questioned the information.

"Alright, just like we discussed!" one of the city protectors called out over the small army. The room sprang into action, but David stood in the middle motionless. He had not been given a duty to perform. The turtle peered up at him before fading away into nothingness. As it did, thoughts seemed to fill David's mind. It had been a Patronus, he realized. He had never managed very technical spells such as the Patronus, and this had been his first time seeing one. Either way, the information he had read about it filled his thoughts.

"Mr. Luke." David said, spotting the mangled man breathing heavily. He was in bad shape. "Where were you stationed?" Mr. Luke looked back at the young wizard through eyes cloudy with pain. Impatient, David placed his left index finger in the middle of Mr. Luke's forehead and watched relief overcome the man. Mr. Luke's body slowly began to stitch itself back together enough that he would not be in such a critical condition. The left arm was twisted, making it impossible to heal correctly in that position, so David simply reached down and twisted it back. The bones and skin had already begun healing, and the result of David's actions was a horribly wicked sounding crunch and a tide of blood from torn flesh. Mr. Luke had gone beyond feeling pain by that moment, but David flinched at the sound.

"How did you do that?" Mr. Luke wondered, staring up at him in amazement. David honestly had no idea. He had never read anything about this sort of magic in any text book. He just acted on instinct.

"Mr. Luke, where were you stationed?" David repeated himself.

"The roof." Mr. Luke replied. "But, you can't go up there! You're just a teenager." David was quiet for a moment before taking a breath to reply.

"Mr. Luke, when I remove my hand from you, it will hurt. My touch provided you some comfort during the healing process, but when I let go, everything I blocked out will come back to you." Fear quivered through the middle aged man's breast, but he nodded that he was ready, and David slowly stepped away. There was no sound as he walked away and began ascending the spiral staircase that would lead him upstairs. Halfway up his ascension, David could hear the horrified howls of pain drifting up the tower like a haunting afterimage. David simply bit his bottom lip and pushed on.

He was a teenager, he admitted that much. He was not as strong or as smart as he could be. Talent could only take one so far before they had to exert the effort to improve. David felt like he had been floating around on the tide of his talent ever since he got to Trinity, but now he wanted something more than just knowledge. He wanted power. The power to protect people, the power to change things. His hands felt too small for the heavy load he was trying to handle.

On the landing just before the roof, David stopped in his tracks. He had the answer to any question he needed. Slowly, David drew out the thick book from its small pouch under his jacket, located at the small of his back. The book was humming in response to his thoughts. When he opened it, it floated off his hand at chest height, allowing him to easily read it. His arms felt like they were being pulled to the sides, so he let them move freely. They extended out to his sides as if he were addressing people below him, hands open, his feet planted shoulder width apart.

The pages of the Tome flipped through by themselves at a rapid pace before stopping on a page with glowing purple text. The floor, the walls, even the ceiling became engulfed with spell circles and runes. Reality seemed to break away and was replaced with another scene, but the information about it came easily. The Tome was showing him a portion of the past relating to the monster in which they fought. They were indeed monsters, but these monsters were the results of magical experimentation. These monsters were hybrid beings, their bodies a complicated mixture of some of the most deadly creatures on Earth, forcibly combined and imbued with magic. They were the failed results of the early attempts to create human chimera. The things David saw, watching those wizards kidnap Muggles and experiment on them, made him understand the hatred these creatures, these Chimera, would have for the Wizarding World. They used to be human, but David knew that killing them was a far better outcome than the fate that had befallen them centuries ago. When he closed his eyes, the images faded and returned him to reality. Inside the tome, the page burst into purple flames, leaving nothing behind but the burnt paper that had held it to the spine.

David did not put the book away as he walked up the remaining stairs up to the rooftop. His hands stayed at his sides, his entire body surrounded by a sphere of magic. Those that saw him arrive stared in awe, a majestic combination of magic and might. The air surrounding him shook and hummed. He ignored them and stepped up onto the ledge to overlook the battlefield. There were thousands of them, rising from the earth like hoards of white ants. They crashed and broke upon the magical defenses again and again like the wave of the sea, slowly eroding away at them, allowing them to get closer and closer to their prey. David understood them now and he pitied them greatly, but he would not show them mercy. Mercy would be a quick end to their eternal suffering, the shackles of pain they wore around their souls. But, would he be able to do it? There were limitations. No wizard in history would be able to kill them all, so what would he do? His eyes finally settled on the shaking defenders, awaiting their fate.

"Why hasn't anyone Apperated?" David wondered, asking the closest person to him.

"Because we were told to stay here until reinforcements arrived." The woman replied, slightly confused. David moved to ask another question, but the Tome once again acted on its own.

After the Fall of the Dark Lord Voldemort, the Wizarding World realized that it needed a force of defenders that would move about the world and provide assistance where ever it was needed. Paladins, as they were called, became a branch of the Ministry of Magic that rivals the Aurors. Werewolves, Vampires, Rogue Giants, Rampaging Dragons. It was useful to the Ministry to have a branch of wizards they could deploy to resolve situations. The original members of the Paladins consisted of the known members of the Order of the Phoenix combined with any members of Dumblebore's Army, a small group of students from Hogwarts that had banded together in the Dark Times with Harry Potter. They had made quite a difference in the last years of the Dark Lord in aiding Harry Potter and in the defense of Hogwarts. Over the years, their ranks swelled and their operational range expanded greatly. In time of emergency, they would gather all the appropriate members they could before Apparating to the scene.

"Reinforcements will not make it here in time." David replied, blinking away the images. "And they will not be able to provide much help. Not against these numbers. Magic can only do so much."

"Well, what would you suggest? We flee? Leave our homes to these monsters? Run with our tails between our legs like a bunch of whipped dogs?" A man dared to speak up. David did not blame the man. To him, he was being spoken to by a young boy who was speaking as his superior.

"Yes, that is exactly what I want. If you stay, the bottom of Lake Michigan will be your grave, if you aren't eaten alive by the Chimera." David said grimly. Without looking away from the man's eyes, a thick bolt of lightning lashed out from David's body. It split the sky in two as it rose up into the sky and crashed with thunderous, ground-shaking force. Pieces of the cave ceiling fell and smashed into Oasis, destroying homes and crushing hundreds of fleeing Chimera. Dust rained down and the smoke cleared enough to reveal wet rock underneath.

"This won't be enough to kill them all, since they can breath underwater, but it should be enough to dwindle their numbers by more than half." David remarked, watching the cracks expand and water begin to trickle through.

"You're insane!" Someone screamed in horror.

"Maybe." David replied. "But, this will save a lot more lives. Either way, I have played my hand. Now, you choose to leave, or to die." David was not sure who the first person was, but a loud crack told everyone that someone had left, and a chain reaction accorded. They all began to flee for their lives.

The defenses continued to hold back the Chimera, making it so that they were not going to be able to get in the way as they fled. They did not seem to notice that the mist falling down on them was not the weather enchantment placed within Oasis, but the very beginnings of a horrible disaster about to befall them.

It dawned on David that he did not know how to Apparate. He knew for certain that it was not something he would be able to pull off, since it required immense amounts of practice. Even with the Tome.

"Oh well." He sighed in resignation. Whatever happened, happened. The next few minutes were well beyond his control, and he could only hope that he would somehow survive it all intact. Brightness flashed before his eyes. It had been an image, he realized, but it had gone before he had any chance to realize what it was. It was like trying to grasp air. He was reaching out for it, but it was never in his hand when he clenched it. He had felt this sensation before back before school, here in Oasis. He had just left the bank and had tried for hours to remember what he had seemed to forget. David briefly wondered what it was he had forgotten this time.

It was such a shame really, he thought. The bank was going to be completely demolished, and all the money inside was going to be washed away. How many people were about to lose everything? He secretly hoped that the records of his withdraw would be washed away as well, but he had heard goblins were very good at remembering these things without the need for paperwork. He reached up and closed the book shut, sealing everything away once again and returned it to its safety pouch under his coat. He did not want it to end up in someone else's hands, even if they could not read the contents.

The entire cavern echoed an extremely loud crack as the ceiling gave way slightly. A "small" bit of stone fell from above and smashed even more Chimera. There was now a small spout of water rushing down like a waterfall. It wouldn't be long now. This incident had grasped the Chimeras attention. They finally began to understand the situation and were in utter chaos. Apparently, they have very little direction. They had a leader of some sort, David imagined, like an wolf pack, who made all the decision. Whoever or whatever that alpha was, apparently they had not learned about the situation yet, and was unable to issue any orders. By the time they would come up with anything, they would be dead, David smiled.

So, what was he gonna do? Just stand here and wait for it? Or would he try to find shelter and hope to survive? Survival was an extremely slim chance at this point, he realized. The surface of Lake Michigan was nearly a mile above him. Would he be able to hold his breath that long? A simple spell could resolved the problem of air. He remembered reading something about a Bubble in a Charms book. He sighed and scratched his head. The solved the issue of air, if he managed to survive. It was a start at least.

Again, David was assaulted with the feeling that he had forgotten something important. The bright image returned, something about a big bright orb in a cave deep underground, but it slipped before he could figure it out. Had he seen that somewhere before? It looked extremely familiar, like something from a dream he had nearly forgotten.

It felt like a door opening in his mind, clearing his thoughts. He remembered where he had seen that before. David turned and rushed down the stairs as fast as he could without tripping himself. He raced through Atlas, stopping long enough to make sure Mr. Luke had gotten away, before tearing off towards the vaults. His muscles were being feed a heavy supply of adrenaline and magic as he leapt down into the tunnel system. He was not a Goblin, so he doubted the cart would work for him. He had a sneaking suspicion that only Goblins had access to those things, and there would be a trap in place. He sailed clear past the cart and landed on the rail system. The bracer shuttered as a spell was cast on instinct. The metal of the rail lost all of its friction, allowing David to slide on it with ease as he had done in the Naedalance match. He wanted to get back to school and finish the season. He wanted to get back to his friends, to laugh once again with Snow, Evangeline, Vladimir, and Yuri like they had been. If he made it out of this, he would walk right up to Snow and ask him what the problem was.

The tunnel arched into a straight plummet, and David leapt into the depths just as he heard the monsterous crash and a roar behind him. Oasis was obliterated in a instant as millions of galleons of water dropped onto it. The panicing Chimera suffered a similar fate, many of them torn apart by the violently rushing waters. As he fell, David could hear the strange roaring sounds as the water pursued him through the caves. He drew his wand and aimed it behind him.

"EXOROVENTUS!" David screamed, his heart hammering in his chest from sheer fear. A huge jetstream of air burst from the tip of his wand, propelling him faster as he used his other hand to try and part the wind below him, decreasing the wind resistance and increasing his terminal velocity.

The wind ripping past his ears renewed his fear of heights greatly as he fell. The fall was so great that he could not see the bottom, or fathom the methods of its creation. It was barely wide enough to pass through. It was like threading yourself through the eye of a needle at high speeds. The walls brushed his sleeves and knocked his equipment, threatening to snag him and smash his body against the wall with such violence David would not have even had the chance to notice it. It was barely 6 or 7 feet wide, and the walls were entirely made of uneven stone. A greater fear pushed him to go faster, and that was the monsterous power of the torrential water coming from above him. The rail began to straighten out ahead, so David tucked into a tight ball to spin himself around, and felt his shoes touched the magically smooth metal.

As soon as he did the tunnel twisted into a knee-crushing 75 degree turn that nearly caused David to fall and collide into the tracks and stone. He was glad to have had the experience from Naedalance as the tunnel twisted and turned like a mad snake deeper into the earth. David felt something unusual about his speed, however, as he came into a steep decline. Even though he was using magic to part the wind before him, so it did not slow him down, it was no longer giving him any resistance. In fact, David was rapidly speeding up. The cool feeling of mist on his back sent a chill from his back that was not from the chilling water.

The avalanche of water was catching up to him. The sheer power of water was obvious. The rock was shaking and cracking apart, threatening to buckle before him and trap his escape. The few magical defense that he could recall encountering were broken. The dragons that guarded these deep vaults were fleeing as fast as they could, but they could not fly fast enough. David saw quite a few of them get engulfed by the ravenous, dark, churning maw of Lake Michigan. There, he found the reason for the decreased air resistance. The air was being pushed from the caves like a giant syringe. The water was the pressure that acted like a plunger. It was rushing before David like air from a balloon, its force at David's back, almost as if it were willing him to go faster and faster. The air pressure from his wand was acting like the wind, and his back was the sail that pushed him faster than anything he could have possibly imagine. The speed alone nearly broke his mind, which he struggled to keep together. He did not want to become one of those babbling insane people he had read about at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. He would not allow it. He had so much more he wanted to accomplish.

There was water in front of him. He had barely a moment before this occured to him. He was wet, he could not breathe, and he was no longer on his feet. He was no longer running. He had been caught, and now he was at the mercy of whatever God or gods he hoped were watching him. Never before had he wanted air so badly as he had at that moment, but once draw of his lungs would be the end of him. The water cared little for his well being. It smashed him against walls. It spun him in every possible dimension until he could no longer recall which way he was facing. It was pure madness incarnate, the raging power of the trashing current. David felt like a feeble doll in the hands of a snobbish child. It was only a matter of time until it broke him.

It was funny really, he noticed. He was powerless. He had powerful magic in his hand, he had nearly limitless knowledge that he might be able to tap into one day, but it was all completely and utterless useless against this force of nature. It was humbling, to say the least. David had been forced to see his place in the world, and sadly, it was fairly small.

David's entire body felt as if lightning flowed through his veins. His forehead had hit a rock wall without warning, and it jolted his senses. Forgetting himself, David took a massive pull of sweet air, but his lungs only filled with sharp stinging water. The human body was not built to breathe water, and he immediate reaction was the natural one. He tried to cough it up and inhale the much needed air he was meant to breathe. There was none, and David only inhaled more and more water until there was nothing, but water inside his lungs.

So, he thought with alarming clarity, this is what its like to drown. His arms and legs were flailing uselessly, as if he were trying to swim his way to surface for air. There was no surface this time, he knew, but he could not help himself. Slowly, the flailing turned to involuntary spasms and convulsions. His eyes were open, and he was seeing through them, but everything was very detached. His body was being washed with wave after wave of nerve-pinching pain each time his body convulsed. His heart hurt. David did not understand why, but it hurt more than anything he had ever imagined.

His body slammed into something extremely hard and he stayed there. He was laying down, he realized. Odd. He was face down on hard stone, but he was no longer floating, but on land. He wanted to chuckle, but could not.

"Breathe." Someone whispered into his ear. I can't, David replied mentally. He wanted nothing more than to breathe, but he would only inhale more air. He had never imagined he would hallucinate before dying, but it was all extremely vivid. Was this the afterlife? He saw and felt everything like he was wrapped in a warm blanket of fog. Everything was nearly all white and all he wanted to do was sleep.

"Breathe, David." It whispered again. Go away, David said quietly. Something lanced through his body, jolting his sensed back. David mentally struggled to return. It was like wading in waist deep water against the current, but he tore his psyche apart. He could feel pieces of himself breaking off as he fought. His lungs lurched and he threw up. David coughed out lungful after lungful of water, coughing until his throat was sore and raw before he could breathe again. Everything hurt. It burned immensely, his body, but he was alive. Carefully, David twisted and flopped onto his back. Slowly, the burn faded away and David was left feeling completely numb from head to toe. Either way, David began to laugh hysterically. He was glad to be alive.


	26. Chapter 26

The air was stale but unusualy sweet after his ordeal. He pulled in heaping lungfuls in between fits of laughter. He was laughing because he has survived. David had been certain he was goimg to die, and the realization he had lived made him immensely happy. He could not help himself as he laid on his back, still driping wet. Slowly, his mind began to think clearly and a lot of questions began to surface. Yes, he was alive, but how had he escaped the water?

David pulled his aching body into a seated position and began to examine his surroundings. He was in a grand cave so large that the other side was barely visible. Nearby David was a swirling blue vortex of light, and on the other side was water, almost like a window into a different world. Somehow, he had passed through that barrier, which now held the Lake at bay. Why was there such a barrier so far beneath the ground? Where was he? His skin tingled as a sense of Deja Vu overcame him. He had no idea how, but he recognized this place. This is where he had been taken to withdraw money from Atlas.

Unlike his previous visit, his mind was absolutely clear as he examined his surroundings. He remembered some of the artifacts laying in the heaping piles of gold, the towering mountains of silver, and the endless waves of copper. Remembering the goblin Grublock's warning, David did not touch anything, just examined them from a safe distance. It was wonderous. He just let his feet take him where they wanted, following a single path through the maze of treasure. There was so much money here, David had to fight back the feelings of greed and power that lurked within his heart. There was far more than just money and a few ancient artwork. David stopped to examine a large pile of finely crafted rubies as big as his fist, stacked up in a near perfect pyramid. He inspected items like a large staff shaped like a large bolt of fire and wondered what it could do. Swords, shields, spears, and other ancient weapons sat in weapon racks in pristine conditions, somehow withstanding the tests of time deep in a cave underground. Many times he wondered why such things were here in the first place, but something in his mind pushed it away.

"Come." Someone whispered to him. David spun around, nearly leaping out of his skin. There was no one around. He had felt the breath touch the side of his face as it spoke. David could not tell whether it was male or female, since it was extremely soft and smooth, but still he was nervous.

"Who's there?" David called out, feeling stupid. How many times had he yelled at the television when he saw people do this in the movies?

"Come." it said again. Glittering in the corner of David's eye caught his attention. There was a trail of tiny pearls of light along the path before him, leading him to an unknown destination. "Do not be afraid." It said.

Hesitantly, David slowly took a step forward. Then another. He tried to combine the two motions, but something inside him was afraid, allowing him only to take a single step or two before pausing again. If anyone had seen him, it might have looked like a horrible attempt at The Robot. The path lead him through all the treasure without any dead ends or anything suspicious for several minutes. David no longer needed to follow the glittering light. He saw the destination, looming in the distance over the mountains of treasure. What he saw, even after nearly a year studying magic at Trinity Academy, made his jaw drop.

A city was the closest word David knew to describe it. The towering buildins were tall and thin, bridges laced in between them to support their thin structures. There was no way on Earth that was built by man. It was fantasical, something some only saw in futuristic science fiction movies. It reminded David of a movie he once saw when he was younger called Star Wars. It was not just the technology that was amazing, it was how well it was blended with nature that made it beautiful. Each tower had several dozen hanging gardens of different varieties, and each one had a greenhouse. Even though these were all overgrown now, David could almost see the vision of its beauty.

In the middle of the skyline was a massive tower, white and gleaming like a shard of glass. It was nearly identical to the one in the center of Trinity Academy, but several times larger, and flowing from somewhere below it was a giant helix of purple light, which swirled upward and disappeared in a bright light above the city. The power of it could be felt in the stone below his feet as a deep and constant vibration David had not noticed before.

The streets were narrow at the base of the towers. They had very thick and sturdy bases, but got thinner towards the top. All the ground traffic was on foot, and as such there was not a need to make room for vehicles. Judging from the balconies on many towers, David guessed that there had been some sort of transportation. Possibly broomstick, but they seemed too grand for something that simple. All he had were theories, both practical and wildly fantastic ones. Water nozzles dotted the archway of every entrance or door, and lined the underside of every overhang or bridge. The nozzles were spraying a fine and light mist, allowing the artificial light from above to stream through it and make light rainbows everywhere. Where this wonderous city had once been, it had been warm enough that mist was constantly sprayed from above to cool down its citizens and water all the plant life within the city at once.

All the plants were overgrown, but the structures and stone walkways remained vigilant, despite several centuries of moss and ivy which clung tightly to them. The parks were filled with meter tall grass and all the trees reached towards the heavens with wild abandon. His attention was drawn to the massive central tower to which the entire city seemed to have been built around. He had made it through the city and past the tall towers easily enough, given that he had taken his time to observe everything he could as he went, but now he could hear a sound similar to a massive waterfall that matched the strong vibrations in the ground. The base of the tower was close to a mile thick, but it disappeared into a pool of purple milky liquid that possessed the same glow as the the crystal tower. No bridges or pathways to traverse the gap in between them. The purple light that blew up the tower like a powerful wind was coming from the liquid that surrounded the tower.

Somone was walking across it surface towards him.

The figure was very faint, less than a ghost, almost ethereal enough to be smoke. It was a man, tall and regal, thick shoulders and long flowing hair that suggested an adventurous spirit, the kind that could not stay in one place as long as there was something new to see or learn. The realization that David recognized him came to him subtlely, but it was a powerful one. He had seen the same image many times this past year at his school, in his classrooms, in his textbooks, and all across the school. The sweeping cowl that graced his shoulders and the glowing symbol hanging from the chain around his neck made him recall the statue that stood in front of Atlas. Nothing, however, translated the sense of majesty and strength that seemed to seep from him.

"_Hæletoþ, geonga. Keh onspreoa ðu heone_?" The man spoke. His voice was very resonate and powerful, harmonizing with the surroundings with his smooth and deep tenor. His accent was partly scottish, but it held something different beyond words, his face was very kind and handsome, even to David's eyes, and it did not match the centuries of infamy that had been placed upon his shoulders.

"Gawain the Lost." David barely whispered. His kind smile twinged somewhat when David said the name into one of geniune sorrow and concern. It seems he realized the language barrier, but somehow adjusted to it quickly. Gawain repeated David's works with a thick accent to himself and David could almost see the man mentally working out the foreign language. The power given to him by the Runes was certainly more than enough to sort it out. the words he wanted.

"Where is this?" David wondered, looking back to the tower. It was more of a question to himself, but Gawain seemed to absorb the new words well. He picked up a long stick, floated over to a sandy part of the shore, and began drawing. When he finished, he pointed to his drawing, then to the tower, then to David's Aegis. The scabbard bore the Elden Crest insignia, and Gawain had made the connection.

"I am in Elden Crest, sir. Trinity Academy." David replied with a nod.

"Trinity..." Gawain repeated. "_Elden Crest, dath ærn et Seranas Caladin_?"

"Yes, sir." David affirmed, walking closer to the shore. The purple water was actually clear, but filled with billions of bright purple stars that floated within it. Curious, David reached out a hand to touch it, but a firm grip around his wrist stopped him short and gently pulled it back. Gawain was kneeling next to David and he pointed to the tower, then to the water.

"Mana." Gawain said carefully. "Et ist not good to... to..." He began to poke the ground with his finger as his eyes asked for help with the word.

"Touch. It is not good to touch it?" David asked, looking back to the water.

"Yes." Gawain laughed softly. "Touch. Not Good." To emphasize his point, he touched the ground, then slammed his fist into the same spot. David looked to the fist mark in the soil and worked it out as best he could while Gawain held and flexed his bicep.

"Power." David said. "It is too powerful. So, this is called Mana? What is it?" Gawain searched the towers as he thought how to best describe it. He held his arms out as far as they would go, and brought them together so they almost touched.

"Mana...power..._magai..._"Gawain stammered. "Power... _Gaea_..." He repeated Gaea and tapped the ground beneath him softly. He ran his fingers through the short grass and over the moss that clung to the stones, then tapped his heart.

"Life? Mana is the source of life?" Gawain once again made the big to small motion in response, indicating that David did not see the big picture, just a very over simplified version of it.

"_Magai_..what does that mean?" David asked him. Gawain softly pressed his large forefinger in David's chest, over his heart, then pointed at himself as well.

"Wizards...Magai are wizards. Magai...Mages...?" David fumbled.

"Mage." Gawain confirmed. "I mage. Touch Mana...touch _Fulthark_. Mage."

"But, Professor Merlin said that Mages are-"

"Not. Mage is wizard. Mage is..." Gawain tapped his head, trying once again to convey a word he did not know the word for. Knowledge. The word sparked an idea. Without replying, David reached behind, to the pouch at his back, and pulled out his Tome. It was completely dry, protected somehow, but Gawain's eyes lit up upon seeing it.

"Your time was only a few centuries ago. You obviously do not speak English, but I cannot recognize what language you are speaking. Will this help?" David asked.

"Yes." Gawain explained, reaching out slowly and touching the book. Both he and the Tome glowed brightly, steadily getting brighter and brighter until it made dark spots in the middle of David's vision. David felt something crawling into his mind. Knowledge. In order to learn from David, Gawain had to share something of his own. Images flooded into David's mind through his arms. It all fit in like a simplified puzzle. Gawain was sharing all of the knowledge he had about this city and its origins, his voice speaking inside his mind.

_Over 11,000 years ago, there existed an island nation located in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. The people of this land possessed great wealth thanks to their advanced knowldege and technology. The island was a center for trade and commerce. _

_ This was the island of Atlantis. Inhabited by the first wizards of the world. _

_ Atlantis was called the most beautiful and majestic wonder in the ancient world. Towering cities, flying contraptions, and amazing sights, these were the envy of the world. Citizens who left this city were often worshipped as demigods by the uneducated masses, mistaking magic for divine power. _

_ The known world was divided among four siblings with the eldest, Atlas, King of Atlantis, being charged to protect the city and surrounding areas. At the top of the central hill, a temple was built to honor of the source of all magic on Earth. It was here that the rulers of the world would come to discuss laws, pass judgments, and teach the ways of magic. _

_ Atlanteans were immortal beings. The water in the center of the city gave them long life, and by living close to it, gained the power of Magic. Their children were born with the same gift for magic their parents had gained. This was how the first wizards were born. _

_ For generations, the Atlanteans lived simple, virtuous lives. But slowly they began to change. One by one, the other nations were indoctrinated to believe their rulers to be gods. Greed and power began to corrupt them. _

_ One such ruler was Zeus, the Godking of Greece, King Atlas' nephew. When he saw the growing talents of the citizens of Atlantis, and heard of the waters that flowed within the central temple, greed consumed him. He gathered as many of his fellow siblings as he could, rallied the nations, and went to war against Atlantis._

_ Atlantis, having lived in peace for several hundred years, did not have any armies to protect them. Only the citizens of Atlantis could protect their island home. Magic, which had once been used simply to power their technology and simplify their lives, was quickly adapted into a weapon of war._

_ King Atlas was very wise, and saw that even with their magic, they could not hold back the tide which crashed upon their shores. Fearing the results of losing the Temple to enemy hands, King Atlas ordered the citizens to evacuate the island immediately. Harnassing the power of the Temple itself, King Atlas sank the entire island deep below the sea, and buried it underground, where no mortal could hope to reach it._

_ The citizens of Atlantis spread throughout the world and began to live in hiding. Some formed cities and towns where, through the use of magic, could live freely without being discovered. Without the influence of Atlantis, their immortality faded away, and the Rulers who sought to reshape themselves as gods died. As time went on, the gift flowing through the veins of witches and wizards began to dwindle more and more with each generation._

David felt Gawain's hand pull away from his Tome and he blinked away the teary dryness of his eyes. He saw a lot of what he had learned in those boring History classes in a new light now. Ancient gods held a new meaning to him, but most of all, this city had grown immensely more wonderous within those few short moments. This was the origin of the Wizarding World, of every witch and wizard throughout the world. It was possible they could trace their lineage back to this single place.

"What about Muggle-borns?" David asked suddenly. Gawain peered at him curiously, appearing to choose his words carefully with the new language.

"It is all the influence of Mana." Gawain said simply, motioning to the swirling purple waters. "Mana flows into every living organism on this planet. Every blade of grass, every tree, even the people you see in your daily life. Each of them has the power of Mana in their blood. Each person has a different amount inside of them, and when the correct pair mate, the amount given to their child is enough to grace them with the ability to use the Gift. The Gifted simply have a higher concentration of Mana within them, increasing the chance that their child is also gifted."

"I guess that explains Squibs." David said to himself. "So, that stuff is Mana?"

"Yes. This is what they fought for, long ago."

"So, drinking this stuff makes you immortal then." David continued, looking at it differently.

"Yes, if you wanted to live here forever. If you left, the power would leave you body within a few years."

"But, what about you? Shouldn't you still be alive, if you drank the water?" David asked. Gawain's eyes grew distant and his sockets for a second grew deeply hollow, allowing David to see his skull through the transluscent skin. Gawain simply reached up to his tunic and carefully opened it enough to reveal a large stab wound in his chest. Someone had struck him from behind.

"I was betrayed." Gawain replied simply, buttoning his tunic back up. "Greed and lust for power can easily shatter even the strongest bonds of trust. People do not hold the same values as they once did long ago."

"Is that why its down here in the Vault?"

"No. They simply used what was left of Atlantis to store their wealth. No one dares mess with this city. If something happened to this Mana, there would be a great and global crisis, so instead, they protect it. People cannot be trusted to live here anymore. Eventually, one of them would give into his desires. Even in ancient times, only those who had learned the secrets of the Fulthark Runes were allowed to taste its waters."

"But, they used it as a language, right?"

"Symbols are still symbols." Gawain stated. "But, knowing what they truly mean is entirely different. It is like the difference between knowing the word love, and actually being deeply in love with someone. If you have never truly loved someone, it is just a word. Understand?"

"I think so. So, if I wrote down the Runes...?"

"Then, the person would simply see them as Runes. Even if they could read them, it still would not do them any good." Gawain explained. "But, it is still our duty to oversee the knowledge and safeguard them. Even their written forms, in the wrong hands, can be used poorly."

"I understand." David acknowledged the warning. David walked over and peered down into the purple light once again. His reflection was clear at first, but began to swirl and twist until it was showing him something entirely different. He was older, a man, his eyes looked tired, his hair was much longer, pulled back into a loose braid. His outfit was about the same, but there were several changes to it, and he wore several pieces of armor.

"What is it you see?" Gawain asked, staying back.

"I think its me in the future." David said. Future David was standing on a hill, overlooking a great battle of magic and beast. Details were fuzzy, but the image seem to convey what was happening with ease. David was winning, a weak smile filled his face. David and his future self gasped as three feet of shining metal protruded from his chest. David gripped his clothes near his chest as he watched his future self fall face-first into the dirt.

"Try not to dwell on what you saw." Gawain advised.

"But, I was murdered." David replied weakly. It is not everyday that you see how you die.

"Forget you ever saw it. The future can always change. What you saw was just one of many paths you can take. In trying to change it, you make the image you see a reality." Gawain said. The future blended away and David was shown a new image of Trinity Academy. It was on fire as armies of unfathomable monsters marched from below the island, from somewhere in the Ruins. He saw people he recognized, hardly any different than when he has last seen them. They were injured, many of them showing signs of a battle, and the bodies of student littered the grounds.

"The question you have to ask yourself is this." Gawain's voice trailed from behind. "Is what you are seeing going to come to pass? Is it the future? Is it the present? By going, do you create the chain of events that cause this, or do you change it? Nothing, when dealing with Time, is certain." David watched as Evangeline was impaled by a brutal spear and raised into the air.

"I have to try." David said, stepping away from the edge.

Gawain peered at him, and David knew that he was not trying to be harsh, but things needed to be said. "Like when you tried to save Oasis? Did you make any difference?" David winced internally as he thought about it carefully.

"Even if I can save the life on a single person, then it is always worth it." David replied, gazing towards the tower.

"And if that begins a chain reaction that claims thousands of innocent lives?"

"You said it yourself. Time is not certain. Even if trying to save someone brings about the worst possible events, I will save everyone that I can, and I will keep doing until there is no one else to save or I die." David stated, his hand rubbing his chest where he had seen the sword kill him.

"Good answer." Gawain said. A rush of elation and the feeling of falling filled David as something cold slammed into his back. Fireworks filled his minds, almost like all of his brain cells kicked on all at once. His blood was liquid fire and it filled him with a strange passion that he had only experienced in a dream. The world looked like he was looking at it through cheesecloth and he experienced a high greater than any he had ever felt, even when Freedy Goonan dared him to inhale NOS in his Dad's garage. When it started to slow down, his body felt like it weighed ten times as much and the pleasure was replaced with a sensation similar to being wrapped in razor wire.

"It is done." Gawain said. David turned around to see that Gawain's already vaporous form was starting to fall apart.

"What did you do?" David wondered. His blood felt like oatmeal.

"Everything that I was, is now in you." He stated simply with a smile. The smile was the last thing to evaporate as Gawain's presence in this world faded. There was no longer any sign that the man existed except for a pile of bones on the other side of the shoreline, a scorched hole in the side of its skull. Judging by the way he was positioned, the poor man never even saw it coming. David felt sad, however. A great man had been lost, leaving David with even more questions than the ones that had been answered.

Something was nagging at him. It felt like a gear inside his brain was spinning wildly, waiting for its pair to come match teeth in order to properly function. He held up the Tome in the palm of his hand, spine down, and let it fall open. All on its own, the book flipped through pages and abruptly stopped. The page was filled with symbols he did not understand, but they were moving about the page as if they did not remember where to go.

"_Adeat_." He said suddenly. The words snapped into place and glowed a bright scarlet like a laser into his eyes. It was in English to his eyes. An image flashed before his eyes. By the time he blinked it away, another one appeared. Each sentence appeared in his mind along with precise images and instructions. The entire page turned bright red and tore itself from the book. As the last bit of information left it, the page cracked and crumbled down like glass, appearing as stone when it hit the ground. David was speechless.

An idea formed in his head almost like an epiphany. There was no source, no thought process that lead up to its formation. It was like remembering something, almost like you learned it before, and never had to use it before now.

David moved quickly. He knelt down beside the stream of Mana, and drank a handful of it. It tasted like Lychee, but it tingled without being carbonated. He felt it go down his throat, and when it hit his stomach, it was like an explosion of energy. Gawain had tried to explain. Merlin had told him a small part of it. The textbooks he had read were all wrong. There was no real difference between Mages and Wizards. Wizards used magic, Mages used the Mana around them. Taboo and superstition clouded the facts. They were the same thing, but the difference between them was like knowing how to swim, and being a world class Olympic swimmer.

David stood up and raised his hands up to the fake sky above.

"_Anforlætan on dath niwe ealdor kan egeslic binda-_" He cried out to the crystal tower. He did not even realize that he was speaking in a different language, the same one he had heard Gawain use earlier. He was not even sure of what he was saying. The Mana now in his blood, the knowledge given to him by his Tome, and the gifts given to him by Gawain were all working together as David willed it. He wanted to go to Trinity Academy. He had seen horrible creatures attacking the closest thing he had to home, and killing his friends. Somehow, he was certain that if he did not help them, the horror he saw would come to pass. By staying here, he was condemning them to death.

An explosion of power poured from his body and into the circle of Mana, willing it to Life. It erupted into the sky in a tight helix and glowed as bright as sunlight. The Crystal Tower resonated, and glowed as well like it was breathing. The ground shook and the rotting towers began to collapse and crumble around him. Atlantis was dying. This was its last gift to give.

David walked on the surface of the Mana, which was almost at a rolling boil beneath his feet. As it passed him, his body took more in like a thirsty animal. He looked up, and it was like the eye of the storm. Everything around him was chaos, but above him, shining in serene light was absolute calm. Without fear he approached the Tower and touched it. It was cool like metal, but something about it warmed him deeply. The Moonwell was just a substitute for this energy. He did not know how, but they were similar enough for him to acknowledge the link between them. Wizards and Elves had a common ancestor somewhere along the line. When he applied pressure, his hand slipped beneath its surface as easily as if it were water. It accepted him as he entered it calmly.

For the rest of his life, David would never be able to properly describe his experience inside the Tower. It was something a person could only experience themselves. Words did it no justice. There was something incredibly intimate about it, like laying down with a lover for the first time, but when he tried to explain, it was the insane ramblings of a mad man. Colors, images, sensations, feelings, dreams, ideas, and power all at once in such a quick and harsh way that insanity was the only way to cope with it. There was no air. There was no need for air. Detached from time, David lived countless lifetimes in his mind, loosing himself for an eternity. He did not even realize that they were not real, that everything was happening somewhere deep in his mind. He had many wifes, many children, and he loved them all deeply. Everytime he would begin again, with no memories of his previous life, he would persue new careers, new sights. David experienced everything normal life had to offer, but he always wanted something more. He had forgotten all about magic, about his parents, his friends. But, even then, a part of him wished for magic to be real, for the wonderous and amazing things most people only believed about in fairy tales to be real as the food in his body.

When he landed on his face on cold tile, David was not sure what happened. Last he could remember, he was embracing his new son, Micheal, who had just been born. The pure beauty and magic of the new life of his son had sundered his fears about being a father and his wife beamed happily as she watched her husband greet their child. He raised himself from the tile slowly. He recognized the pattern. He looked around and saw that he was in a familiar room. Behind him was an exposed wall of the Crystal Tower, somewhere high up in the castle of Trinity Academy. The truth about everything he went through numbed him. Some place inside him snapped, and David cried. He was crying over things that had happened in his mind. People who did not exist, and things that did not really happen. He had truly loved, he was truly happy. The feelings he had for that young boy, his son, were so genuine that his heart felt like it was being gripped in a cruelly barbed vice. No matter how much he massaged the ache, it did not go away. The tears did not stop, the feelings would no go away. He felt like a man who had lost everything in exchange for a life he was not sure he was happy with anymore. Yes, he truly loved magic, and enjoyed his craft with every part of his soul, but he was truly adrift in the sea of emotions that had claimed him. David knew that he would never truly be the same person he once was. In his mind, he could still see the scrunched up face of the newborn which had claimed his heart.

_**Authors Note:**_

_** Hey guys. Sorry for the late posts, but David Crowley and the Lost Runes is beginning to wrap up, so I want to make sure that things end the way they should. Loose ends could always be picked up in a sequel, if I do one, but I feel like it wouldn't be the same experience unless most of the mysteries were answered. I struggled with this chapter a lot, and I did not have the chance to run this through any of my editor friends, as they are all of at school for a while. Please enjoy, and thanks a whole lot for reading.**_

_** ~Jesse**_


	27. Chapter 27

By the strength in his stride and the dangerous gleam in his eye, the other students automatically parted away for him as he passed through the hallways like a raging thundercloud. Everyone noticed him, as if something about him just drew their attention. David had always been a bit unapproachable. He was mildly anticocial, stayed with his friends mostly, plus his good looks, his smarts, and all the events of the past year made him the subject of many rumors. Now, it was like a bolt of lightning trapped in human form, surging with energy and potentially lethal.

David was not angry, but he walked with purpose. Everywhere he went, there was complete silence, but behind him he could hear hushed conversations begin when they thought he was far enough. David went straight to the Armory and gave it a quick scan before picking up things he wanted. A full set of seven-inch throwing knives, which he slid into straps that formed under his arm on his ribs. He also took a larger 12-inch full steel throwing knife and slid in into a holster on his right hip. Other than that, he took several glow in the dark markers, a 24-pack of strike-anywhere flares, a 20-foot length of rope, and a canteen, all of which he slid into a small satchel that his armor produced on his hips, just above his butt. David had learned many things at Trinity Academy, and one of those things was that magic could do almost everything, but sometimes doing it the old fashion way produced better results. If his wand was shot out of his hand in a fight, he still had ways to survive.

Several students saw him leaving the Armory and ran off to inform the faculty. He did not care if he was expelled anymore. David was going to do what he thought was right. He marched down the stairs and ran at a measured pace through the open plains toward the entrance to the Ruins. Even with training, he was sweating by the time he crested the ridge that overlooked the valley to where the entrance lay. He never really looked at it very hard before, but the architeture was similar to that of Oasis. His foot hit the first step when he heard someone call out to him from afar. He turned around and scanned carefully. His eyes went down the hill, through the trees to a group of figures running to catch up to him. There were six of them and David recognized most of them them almost instantly.

The first to reach the top of the hill, with barely any effort, was Snow. He looked away when David tried to make eye contact, and instead looked down the hill to Vladimir and Yuri, who were slightly out of breath. Behind them were two people he did not expect to see, Castiel Mondego, who looked thinner without his Naedalance gear, and Shyla, the girl who had been their mentor their first day, and he had no idea why she was hear. Evangeline was the last to catch up, but she hardly seemed to have tried.

"What are you doing?" Vlad demanded. "We've been looking for you for hours, and then we hear that you were in the Armory gathering up equipment."

"I don't want you guys to follow me." David said, turning to descend the stairs. Snow's firm grip set upon his shoulder, halting David's retreat and forcing him to turn back.

"You've been a real asshole lately, you know that?" Snow growled.

"I've been the asshole?" David snapped, closing the distance between them until they were eye to eye before yelling in his face. "You've the stupid son of a bitch who has been avoiding me, remember? Wanna see who is the asshole? How about the best friend who drops you without giving you a single fucking reason and hangs out with your girlfriend behind your back! How's that asshole!" And to emphasize his point, David pushed Snow. Hard. Whatever had been holding Hiruma back unleashed all at once. David was fast, he was a capable fighter, but Snow was very much his superior in combat. David did not even see the fist that sent him into the ground. Yukio Hiruma, his best friend, was more furious than David has ever seen him as Snow's hands grasped his Mageweave armor and lifted him off te ground.

"You arrogant fucker! Do you ever stop to think about anyone other than yourself! You wonder why we have been mad at you? Think about how we feel when you go and nearly sacrifice yourself for the sake of a fucking GAME! Did you even think about the consequences of your actions? NO, you never do, David! You never fucking think, you stupid son of a bitch!" Another powerful fist blasted David's head to the side before he was released to crumple in a heap on the ground. David gathered himself up and threw himself at Snow once again, but Evangeline pushed herself inbetween them as Yuri and Vlad pulled them apart. As they did, Snow and David yelled threats at each other like regular delinquents, but not a single time was magic used in their arguement.

Evangeline took David's face in her hands and made him focus on her while she planted a kiss on his lips carefully. Any rage or attention span David fell through his feet and past the floor. The thing he knew anymore was the soft touch of her lips against his and the feel of her warm hands against his face. When she pulled away, she looked at him cheerfully and said, "There, that's much better. No more yelling."

David was at a loss for words. She had so easily put an end to the fight and David could no longer recall why he had been so mad. Her arms slid around his neck and pulled him into a warm embrace. He had not realized how much he missed her. The smell of her hair, the sweet smell of Orchids filled his lungs and caused a warm sensation to spread through his chest. He hugged her back in earnest and she could not supress a small giggle. Vlad cleared his throat and David snapped out of the trance he had been caught in.

"David, what are you doing all the way out here?" Yuri asked, his expression grim.

"No time to stand around. Follow me and I will try to explain everything that has been going on today." David replied, going down the stairs as he spoke. A small smile split his face as he heard them following him without question, wands out and lighting the dark cave-like path ahead of them. He told them everything down to the smallest detail he could recall as they made their way through the Ruins. He told them about his dreams, about Professor Merlin and what happened in the tower, about what happened in Oasis, about the creatures that had attacked, and even about Atlantis and Gawain. They did not judge him, they simply asked questions, believing him without a shadow of a doubt. Even Castiel and Shyla seemed to trust what he was saying.

"By the way, why are you two here?" David asked, addressing them directly for the first time since they arrived. They looked at each other before Shyla decided to go first.

"I was asked by Professor Singbell to find you and bring you back to her office to answer questions about the situation with Professor Merlin." she replied. "But, having heard the reasons, I can't simply let you run off by yourselves."

"It might not be anything, to be honest." David reassured her. "It's just a weird feeling. And Castiel?"

"I just wanted to meet you outside the ring. Get to know you a little bit and see if I could convince you to join the Trinity team next year." smiled Castiel.

"So, why did you come running along with the rest of us?" Yuri wondered.

"Call it curiousity." Castiel replied evenly. "David, do you know where we are going?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I remember exactly where we are going." David replied as he reach a fork in the maze and turned without hesitation. The darkness was smothering, like a thick wool blanket covering your face, making it hard to see and breathe. It was impossible that such a thick darkness existed outside the realm of magic. Every crunch of gravel underneath a shoe was ear-splitting as it echoed throughout the empty Ruins. Due to their training, each of them walked with a level of stealth that was nearly silent, if not for the occasional crunch of rocks. The silence set their nerves on hair triggers, but David kept up the brisk pace, so that they passed like a breeze through the tunnels, barely making a sound besides their quiet breathing.

The tunnel opened up into an antechamber and everyone stopped in their tracks. This room was different than anything they had come across before. It was dusty, but covered in thick, silky white webbing, almost like snow, but it covered the walls and rose up into the darkness beyond where their lights could reach. Vlad clapped a hand on David's shoulder as he brushed past and braved the darkness of the room alone. His wand searched the room carefully, examining every web covered piece of furniture and stone before moving deeper. Someone pressed against David's back and whispered in his ear as quietly as possible.

"You remember that talk about Giant Spiders down here?" Evangeline asked him, sounding almost on the verge of panic. David turned his head so that it was easier for her to hear his reply.

"Acromantula. They're native to South Africa. There isn't any reason they should be here."

"What if they were brought here?" Castiel pointed out. "It's not entirely impossible."

"Why did it have to be spiders?" Yukio squeaked. If it had been any other situation, the expression of Snow's face would have made David burst out into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. Shyla did not seem to be any better with spiders than Snow did.

Dust was floating around the room. It was not much, but it was more than enough to make the hairs in David's nose to get irritated. It was fast, and it was uncontrollable. David took a great inhale of air, but managed to clamp his hand over his face as he erupted into a great sneeze. His hand did little to muffle the noise.

A rock fell from above and clattered loudly on the ground, causing Vlad to jump and spin around. All eyes slowly turned upward into the leering darkness. Lights flickered on, one at a time, tiny and red like Christmas lights. Hundreds of them. Thousands. A long strang of gray goop landed on Shyla's shoulder with a sickening squish, and she began to panic. Hissing, like a massive ball of snakes, as well as a clicking sound.

"Move." Castiel spoke, almost choked off by his fear. They ran just as the red lights, thousands of hungry eyes, began to descend toward them, Castiel yelling the entire time. "Move-move-move-move-move!"

David could heard their massive bodies landing one after another, then the thunderous sound of their large feet chasing after them. David hated spiders, but he could not outrun Snow, who was running and screaming curses in rapid succession as he sped along. Vlad was right behind him, glancing back every now and then to make sure everyone was still following them. Castiel was easily keeping up with them, but he was pulling Shyla along as she struggled to keep up. Yuri was assisting them whenever he could because there was not enough room in the hallway for him to pass them up. Evangeline was leading David, but only because he had pushed her in front of him and was helping her keep up the frantic pace as he called out directions to Snow. All of them were screaming as they ran for their lives, none of them wanting to see what was behind them.

"David, Acromantula hate fire!" Castiel cried out over his shoulder. "If we can put some distance between us, we might be able to hold them off!" He agreed with the logic, and was surprised he had not thought of it in the first place, but in these tight tunnels, any fire would hurt them as much as the spiders. Unless they found an open area and still had enough time for everyone to get out of the way, they might be able to pull it off. From the sound behind him, he was not sure if they would have the amount of time needed. They were faster than humans, and were having a hard time moving about in the tight tunnels, but they were slowly catching up to what they viewed as the biggest feast they had in many years.

A chill ran up David's spine. By his recollection, they should have been at their destination by now, where the metal plate was. But, as far as he could tell, they were going deeper and deeper into the ruines, which seemed to be running in a downward circle with nothing leading toward the interior ruins. He had somehow missed something, and now they were lost.

"Which way?" Snow asked, having stopped since David did not give him a direction like normal.

"I don't know!" David cried out as Vlad met up with Snow.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Snow screamed, glancing past David to see if he could make out any red eyes in the pitch black darkness.

"We must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. I don't know. None of this makes any sense." David replied honestly, his eyes meeting Castiel's.

"These ruins constantly shift around daily! You came down here and you didn't know that?" Castiel wondered, near paniced himself.

"They're coming!" Snow cried out.

"I wouldn't have come if I knew you didn't know the way!" Castiel cried out angrily. A cold spot opened in David's chest and it felt like everything around him grew really distant.

"Left." he said, speaking purely on instinct.

"Is that a guess?" Vlad said, but Snow had already taken off down the left fork.

"I hope you know where you are going, Crowley!" Castiel shouted over his shoulder, squeezing past Vlad with Shyla and running after Snow.

"Is it at least an educated guess?" Vlad asked, but Yuri pushed him down the left tunnel without further comment. In his mind, David laid down the paths they had taken in a 3D map. Each set of stairs and fork in the road futher completed the puzzle, comparing it to the old map in his mind, it rerouted the path in his brain. For a moment, he could see the entire layout of the ruins, and how and where every change took place. The only part that was missing was the middle, the inner sanctum of the ruins, a large hole in his map like a donut. That was their destination, and he was sure that the entrance was somewhere near the metal plate, located on the outside rim of one of the lower floors.

Ahead, there was a solid, loud, metallic click, followed by the sound of rushing air and stone grinding on stone. Everyone immediately stopped in their tracks.

"What was that?" Shyla's voice shook. Castiel used his foot to brush aside some dirt to expose a compressed circular block of stone in the floor.

"Move." Castiel whispered hoarsely, barely audible over the grinding sound, but he swallowed and said it again, loud enough that everyone heard it and began to move at once. They scattered like ants under a magnifying glass. The ground lurched and began to crumble underneath their feet. David, being last in line, did not see who it was that broke away first, but by the time he noticed, there were only 3 of them left. Castiel in the lead with Evangeline close on his tail.

"What happened to the others?" David called out to them, but had the breath knocked out of him as his feet were cut out from under him. His feet dropped out from under him and he dropped on his chest into the stone, blowing the wind from his lungs. His hands swiped at the ground trying to catch hold of something as he felt his lower half sliding into the ground. He cried out as he slipped past the edge, but felt a powerful grip circle his wrist. Castiel grunted as he took David's weight. It was not too long before the ground began to crumble underneath him as well.

"Evangeline! Run for it!" Castiel cried out as stone crumbled past his waist. David and Castiel made eye contact as they began to fall, but small hands grabbed Castiel's ankle. She did not have the strength, or the body weight to anchor them in, so they all slid off the edge of the stone and into the darkness.

David immediately felt how high they were as they began to freefall. Ten seconds passed. They all screamed as the small square of light grew smaller and smaller. Thirty seconds after they began falling, David cried out as they hit cold water in the darkness. Bubbles and swirling crashed in all around him, but he immediately began swimming to the small square of light shimmering on the surface. He sucked in a great lungful of air as soon as he breached the surface, then swam a quick circle to face Evangeline gasping behind him.

"Evangeline." He shivered, swimming up to her. "Where is Castiel?"

"I don't know!" She gasped, shaking in the cold.

"Over here." Castiel groaned.

"_Lumos_!" David said, holding up a globe of light that illuminated the cave. Castiel was floating on his back a few yards away, staring up at the square of light. There was blood on his head. David glanced back to make sure Evangline was okay, then swam up to Castiel to check on him.

"Where are you hurt?" David asked, holding the light under Castiel to try and get a better look.

"I hit my head on something." Castiel replied softly. David investigated it carefully. He had a gash on his scalp that was bleeding, but other than that he could not tell if Castiel had a concussion or something worse. David released the globe of light mid-air, where it hovered quietly.

"Genius." Castiel murmur, pointing at the ball of light. David said thank you, but he was more focused of pinching the wound closed. "Can you heal it?"

David winced as he thought about it. "I am not too good at intricate spells like healing. I have tons of power but not much control when it comes to subtle things. And besides myself, I can't think of very many first years who know the spell to close wounds like this. What I am going to do is try and pinch this closed until the blood stops."

"There is a lot of water in here, David." Evangeline added as she came around his side. "The water might prevent the wound from shutting. Use a cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive to hold the wound closed, but we have to make sure his head doesn't go underwater." She reached into the water, rummaged around, and pulled out a tube of ointment, which she handed to David.

"Durmabond?" David questioned, looking at it. "Liquid stitches?"

"Not entirely. I mixed it with gorilla glue, so try not to make a mess of it, okay?" she replied, her lip quivering with cold. David shrugged and applied a heavy line of it over the gash.

"So, what did you call this? Cyanoacryllic tissue adhesive?" David asked, trying to take his mind off the sight before him.

"Not quite. Cyanoacrylate Tissue Adhesive."

"Uhuh... and how did you know this?" He wondered.

"Growing up, I would often have to find ways to entertain myself. I made a game out of memorizing the names of different things inside my home." Evangeline responded, sounding kind of sad.

"Why didn't you go out and play with your friends? Or play with dolls like all the other girls?" David wondered, remembering the used dolls the girls at the orphanage would play with together. Tea parties, he grimaced.

"I didn't have either." She stated in a way that made David pause for a moment. "Richard wouldn't allow them."

"Richard? Who is that, your step-dad?" he asked, pressing the wound together again tightly, making Castiel wince.

"Richard is my father." she replied distantly.

"So...why Richard if he's your Dad?" Castiel asked before David could stop him.

"Because he didn't deserve it." The way she said it was in that dark and chilling tone that only women possess, and both of the boys instantly went quiet. Castiel slowly righted himself and they began to look around for a way out. David raised the globe higher and higher until it reached the edge above them, over one hundred feet away.

"Well, we aren't getting out that way." David remarked.

"Always the wit with you, isn't it." Castiel replied dryly.

"Stick around. I have a song and dance number that's simply to die for." David returned.

"Boys." Evangeline reprimanded them. "Focus on how we are going to get out of here." David sighed, as the ball of light dropped back into his hand. It was too high to climb out.

"What do you suppose the original purpose of this was for?" David wondered.

"Are you insane?" Castiel asked. "Obviously, it's a trap. A watery prison to capture unwanted intruders."

"Exactly. So how do you supposed it was made?" David continued.

"Magic, of course." Castiel replied, groaning in irritation.

"You would think so, wouldn't you." David agreed, swimming over to the edge of the cave.

"What is it?" Evangeline wondered. David ran his fingers along deep groves that were in the stone, all even and perfectly parallel.

"Tool marks." David responded when he was certain.

"Tools? Are you suggesting that this was all built by hand?" Castiel asked.

"It was crafted by Elves, as far as I figure, and they were not really big on the use of magic, now were they?" David said, meeting Castiel's eyes as cool as the water they lay in. "So yes, they had to have done most of the grunt work by hand. Which means that there is a way out." Castiel's eyes held David's for a moment before they began searching below the water.

"That means there is a passage that leads out somewhere down here, otherwise their workers would have died down here." he said. David turned his hand and dropped the ball of light into the water, willing it to glow brighter as it slowly sank.

"There." Evangeline called out, pointed down into the depths. They all saw it and they all felt the same chill. They had hoped it would be nearby, something not to deep in the water. This was far from that. The light had hit the stone bottom, and in the middle was a large black tunnel leading deeper.

"Any ideas?" David asked.

"Give me a second." Castiel murmured.

"How long does the Bubble Head Charm last?"Evangeline wondered.

"What?" they asked as one.

"Bubble Head Charm. Conjured a bubble of air around your head for a period of time while you're underwater?" David blinked and looked at Castiel, who was equally shocked. Evangeline rolled her eyes and said, "Why is it that boys always look for the most complicated answer to the simplest issues? I bet you idiots were thinking we make a swim for it and hope for the best, right?" David's ears burned.

"About an hour." Castiel replied, slightly embarrassed.

"Well, we had better hope it takes a lot less than an hour, or else we will drown." Evangeline noted.

"Not pleasant by the way." David recalled.

"I can think of better ways to die, thank you." Evangeline replied sourly. "Rotting underwater in a deep tunnel in a maze of stone where no one will ever find us isn't very high on my bucket list." She plunged her head underwater and cast the charm on herself. There was a jet of violent orange and a huge plume of white bubbles which caused the surface to steam. She slowly floated back to the surface where she swam silently, angry at herself. One of her eyebrows had been burnt off and her face was red, as if she had gotten out of a too-hot, hot tub.

"Can you lend me a hand please?" She said, seething. David could not help but find the situation cute. When she went down again, Castiel cast the charm for her and she began to descend.

"Well, I can think of one good thing about being down here." Castiel said, just before David was about to go underwater.

"What's that?"

"No spiders." he grinned as his head vanished underwater.


	28. Chapter 28

Twelve inch slid of out holes in both walls every foot or so down the length of the corridor as they sprinted past. As before, a thick slab of stone began lowering itself to try and trap them in. The four teenagers were bruised and bloodied from the juggernaut of traps that crossed their path.

"DUCK!" Snow screamed suddenly, diving into a roll. Everyone except Shyla immediately dropped to the floor as darts whistled through the air toward them.

"_Reflecto_!" Shyla said, erected a shield in time to stop them mid-flight. Snow quickly crawled into the diminishing doorway and tried to bear its weight to buy time. Shyla immediately squeezed past while the others got to their feet. They wasted no time to get through and ran for the next doorway, which was also collapsing.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_!" Shyla cried out with a flick of her wand. The large slab immediately halted its descent, leaving them enough room to crawl through. "Go!" she said. "I have to hold it up while you guys make it through." Without complaint, they crawled through the opening and were soon followed by Shyla, who managed to wiggle through before the passage crushed her ankle.

"I can't believe you first years." Shyla said, something she had said several time before. "You're wizards, for fuck's sake. Why is it none of you think to use your wand before your muscles? Did you learn all of those spells for nothing?" The boys looked at her as if they had just gotten a stern rebuke and began their slow walk through the ruins once more.

"And this time look out for traps!" she barked at them again.

"Worse than a Howler, I tell you." Yuri remarked quietly to his friends, who tried not to laugh. Snow was in the lead, scanning the floor for any more pressure plates or trap doors, with Yuri and Vlad close behind, looking around for any sign of David or a way out. Shyla was in the rear of the pack, walking calmly through the ruins, wand in her hand and ready for anything that came. As before, they walked for a few minutes before the silence got to them again and they once again began talking excitedly together.

"I'm telling you guys. You have it lucky with all the physical education classes." Yuri sighed. "I think nothing could be worse than Herbology class. The other day I had to replant Mandrakes. Talk about awful."

"That's what you get for pulling the geek card." Snow replied with a smile, which vanished as he walked into a cobweb. He cried out and danced around, flinging his arms frantically trying to get it off as his friends laughed at the scene. He shuddered and hugged himself as they continued on.

"Do you think David's okay?" Yuri asked.

"Yeah, you know that guy. Tough as fucking nails." Snow replied.

"Watch your mouth." Shyla said, warning him with her tone.

"Fucking hypocrite." Snow growled. Vladimir clapped a hand on his back as they tried to put a little more distance between her and them.

"So, you guys are friends again then?" Vlad asked. "I mean, you guys were acting like a bunch of girls for a while there." Snow swung at him backhand, but Vlad easily ducked under it with a laugh.

"Well, I am glad." Yuri admitted. "It was weird tip-toeing my way around in conversation."

"For being so smart, David really is a fucking idiot." Snow sighed in irritation. "I don't know why it took him so long to talk to me."

"Every time he tried, you always ran off." Yuri pointed out.

"I could tell by looking at him that all he wanted to do was yell at me." Snow replied defensively. "I wasn't going to stand there and let him scream at me like that."

"Why not?" Vlad asked brightly. "That's better than what happened in the end." Snow's skin turned slightly pink and he walked without saying anything while they laughed at his expense. "Well, I am glad it worked out this way. Its a whole lot easier in the end." Shyla's arm slid between them, pointing at something.

In front of them, deep in the darkness, was a green light, shining like a star. It wasn't reflecting off of the walls or the floor. It just hung there in space as they continued to walk towards it. The closer they got, the bigger it got, but its shape did not change in the slightest. It looked like hundreds of thin creatures were running past it. Snow put his fingers to his lips and indicated that they needed to remain quiet. They walked as quietly as possibly, but Vlad and Yuri were not very adept at sneaking. Nevertheless, the creatures did not seem to notice them in the least.

Yuri got a good look at what they were. They were vaguely humanoid, almost comprised of shadow. They had just enough substance to block light, but it was like a wisp of cloud before the sun. He had seen them before, early on in the school year in his Defense Against the Dark Arts class. An magical creature that was just beginning to emerge in the world, the Tormentors. For the first time since their appearance, Dementors were not just feeding on humans, but each other. No one knows how it began, or how the first Tormentor appeared, but after the Fall of the Dark Lord, they began to appear in northern towns where the Sun disappeared for months at a time. Somewhere in that cold darkness, Dementors were not old breeding freely, some were feeding on each other in such a way that they absorbed each others essence. Lately, they had been getting braver and began attacking Muggle cities in daylight, and the Ministry was having a hard time covering it up. The Muggles were saying it was some kind of virus being spread by mosquitoes that was making people sick and killing them. Yuri shuddered to think about what would happen if they noticed they were there. Their souls being devoured would be the least of their problems then.

Yuri stiffened as something hard pressed into the small of his back.

"_Avada Kadavra_!" A jet of green light struck Yuri from behind, pushing him forward a bit, and he fell into the stream of Tormentors, who cried out in a long, horrid shriek in delight as they began to feast upon his flesh, biting into his dead flesh with long rotted teeth.

David paused as he heard a loud shriek echoed through the dark tunnel. It sent cold chills down his spine and made the darkness more foreboding. If Evangeline heard it as well, she said nothing, but swam in place behind him quietly. David could hear Castiel's labored breathing behind them. He was struggling to keep up with his injuries, but he did not complain or ask for them to slow down.

"Did you hear that?" David asked quietly.

"No, nothing." Evangeline replied after listening a moment. "Why?" What did you hear?"

"I dunno." He admitted. "It was like a scream or something."

"The dark is just playing tricks on you." Castiel said, trying to catch his breath. "Come on. We need to keep moving. Sitting here isn't going to do us any good." David nodded in agreement and turned to continue swimming through the dark corridor. It was barely small enough for them to swim through, pushing themselves forward with their hands and feet, they had to turn their heads to talk and breath because the water went just up to their noses when facing forwards.

David was shaking violently again. He was not a big fan of tight spaces, and the tightness of the tunnel was getting to him. He kept bumping into the walls, and each time it felt like they were getting closer and closer to him. His arms and legs were sore and aching because he could not extend them fully as they swam. To make things worse, it was completely black in front of him. Their source of light was floating lazily behind them, occasionally providing a glimpse of the tunnel ahead when someone's body was not obstructing it.

"I seriously don't like this." David said, turning onto his back to float for a little bit. His nose was touching the cold, mossy rock wall of the tunnel. It did not help him relax.

"I don't know. I'm having the time of my fucking life back here." Castiel remarked. He cried out in pain as Evangeline's foot caught him in the head. "That's supposed to be a complement-OW!" He cried out as she kicked him again.

David felt himself move. The stone began to slowly slide across his nose painfully. To make sure he was not imagining it, he reached out and touched it with one finger. His finger dragged across the rocks.

"We're moving." David said quietly, almost not believing it. There were a few splashes of water as they shifted themselves in the water.

"He's right." Castiel replied. "There's a current." The rock was pressing into David's nose, forcing him to turn his face away. His fears were creeping into his senses, overruling his sense of judgment.

"The tunnel is getting smaller." He whimpered fearfully.

"You don't know that." Evangeline replied, her hand squeezing his ankle, trying to comfort him.

"No. No-no-no-no-no-no. No, I'm sure of it. I can feel it getting closer all around me."

"David." Castiel said warningly, but David was breathing heavily and frantically pushing at the rocks all around him, trying to find a way out. The quick movements caused a lot of noise, but also propelled him down the tunnel at a faster rate. His splashing caused water to rise up and into his nose. He immediately flashed back to when he had nearly drowned and lost control. David began screaming in terror, slamming himself against anything he could to try and find a way out. His thrashing caused him to occasionally inhale more water, further propelling him into madness.

"DAVID! CROWLEY! CROWLEY, LISTEN TO ME!" Castiel was screaming as they tried to catch up to him. "FOR FUCK'S SAKE CROWLEY, SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LISTEN TO ME!" David managed to stop and hug himself long enough for Evangeline to grip his ankle and pull herself closer.

"David. David, are you okay?" She asked, patting his leg rapidly in concern.

"He might be in shock." Castiel said to her. "Just try to help him relax." David bumped his head against the rock wall. It was only a few inches away now.

"This isn't good." Evangeline said fearfully. Castiel said nothing, but was thankful that no one could see the look of concern on his face.

David turned over in the water and began pulling himself forward with his hands. He wanted out of there as fast as he could. The tunnel walls got closer the faster the current got. They were descending down a slope, and the rough stone began smooth and even. David no longer had move to maneuver as the tunnel walls crept closer and closer to his back and chest. There was a long scrape, and then, with a sudden lurch, he came to a stop. He was stuck, the rock pressing against his rib cage. Evangeline crashed into him without warning, pushing him even further. Then, when Castiel slammed into Evangeline, David was pushed so far he cried out in pain as he felt skin tear underneath his wet armor. The cry of pain released air from his lungs, and the water pushed him even deeper, pushing on his lungs, so that David could only take shallow breaths.

"Crowley?" Are you alright?" Castiel groaned. David was unable to answer. His lungs would not fill up with enough air to call out in reply.

"He's stuck." Evangeline said, tugging on his legs.

"That's not the worst of our problems." Castiel replied. David could feel the water level rising up his body. "Crowley, can you see if the tunnel gets any wider up ahead from where you are?" Wheezing, David extended his left arm and barely managed to gasp out, "_Lumos_". The air that escaped his lungs caused his torso to shrink just enough to be pushed deeper into the crevice, making it nearly impossible to breathe. He squeezed his eyes shut to try and block out the immense pressure on his ribcage, threatening to crush his lungs. Someone grabbed his legs and pulled on them, trying to get him to wedge free. He could hear them speaking, but it was garbled. The water was several feet deep now, and they had to dive down to try and pull him free.

When he opened his eyes, it was to the stinging pain from the globe of light. It floated quietly a foot or two away, right next to a stone ledge. He could feel fresh air blowing across his damp face and could practically smell freedom. He kicked away the hands grabbing his legs. They tugged on his pant leg again, but David kicked again to make sure they got the point.

He thought it through to make sure he understood the risks. If he exhaled all the air out of his lungs, he would be able to squeeze himself further, maybe even to the ledge. But, if the tunnel was too thin, he would be stuck and unable to inhale with no possible way of escape. He could not think of any spells that would make this process easier. He remembered seeing a spell about making objects frictionless, but he had never bothered to look at the spell itself to try and learn it.

Slowly, as calmly as he could, he exhaled all the air he could and became as limp as the situation would allow. The water pushed him across the rock slowly, rubbing against his armor and pressing against his torn skin, which caused him to cry out silently. The pain caused him to try and inhale, but by then, he no longer had enough space to fill his lungs. Desperately, his body tried again and again to fill his lungs with air even though his brain was struggling to regain control. It wasted precious energy and time as well.

He slid his fingers over the ledge and pulled. His body slid painfully for another foot before getting pinched between to rocks again. He was dangling freely over a large precipice to his shoulders, but his chest was stuck. The angle made it hard to get any proper leverage to try and push himself free, and he was unable to breathe. His ribs throbbed and creaked, threatening to snap. On the bright side, he thought, if his ribs broke, he would be able to slide free and breathe again.

His arms flung wildly, despair clouding his thoughts as everything started to get dark. At first, it was just the edges of his vision, but soon everything clouded over as his flailing slowed. _Once again,_ he thought himself, 'Y_ou are about to die of oxygen deprivation. Twice in one day. Fantastic.' _There was a large lurch and he popped free as something slammed into his legs. He slid over the edge and began to fall through empty nothingness, taking deep ragged drags of delicious air.

"_Wingardium Leviosa!"_ Evangeline shouted from above him. His foggy mind dimly recognized the sharp rocks at the base of the waterfall a few feet from where he hung limply in the air. He slowly turned himself so he could see her and gave her a tired thumbs up. Castiel's head popped out from waterfall, obvious pain lancing through his good looks. Evangeline saw this and proceeded to set David down in the water gently before helping him get free.

While he caught his breath, David floated on his back and looked around the large cavern. It was extremely tall, and almost cylindrical in shape, like a massive hollowed out tower in the rock. He lit his wand and looked around with it, shining it everywhere he could. Something about the structure bother him. It did not look right. There were horizontal shelves carved into the wall that formed an upward spiral up the shaft. It all lead up to a veil of light near the top. The veil looked like it was made of light, but it did not provide very much of it. Barely enough to see, in fact.

There was a bright orange flash of light that lit up the entire chamber for an instant. He bobbed as Castiel splashed into the water close by, hitting the water upside down. Above him he could hear Evangeline's sharp intake of breath as she winced. Castiel's head burst from the water as he took a breath, steam rising from his clothes and hair. Neither of them had been expecting him to drop, nor had they expected her levitation spell to cause him to suddenly burst into flames.

"Sorry." Evangeline said in a tiny voice. Castiel just glowered, but he motioned that she could come down anyway. David frowning, having an extremely hard time keeping the smile off of his face. Something must have given him away as his head was dunked underwater before he could react. He turned over as he floated back up, and immediately began trying to rocket the water from his stinking sinuses. Castiel was still glowering, but his eyes betrayed him. Evangeline gently slid herself into the water and swam over to them.

"This water feels disgusting." She grouched, rubbing two fingers together.

"Because it's basically the sewage drain." David replied. "All the rain water that runs through the castles gutters and the irrigation trenches must end up here." Evangeline made a disgusted face, but she said nothing besides a small, "I'm going to need a shower after this."

"There's a twig in your hair." Castiel pointed at her. David swam across the spacious pool of water until he reached the base of the tower where the grooves began. They were rough and uneven, but a notch had been made for fingers, but they were too narrow for his boots to fit. The worst part was that they were not a uniform distance apart. Some looked to be only a foot apart, but David could see a few that would take a leap to reach, maybe 4 or five feet away.

"A ladder?" Castiel asked.

"I don't think so. I can't fit my foot into it to test it out." David replied. Castiel rolled his eyes and pushed David out of the way.

"It's because your shoes are too thick." Castiel smirked. "I don't think that many of the people who came down here were rich enough to afford that much leather for a shoe. My sneakers barely fit."

"Do we have to do this barefooted?" Evangeline wondered.

"You won't." David sighed. "Your feet are small enough. Castiel and I will have to carry ours to the top."

"Oh goodie." Castiel chirped. "And the rocks look jagged enough to tear our feet apart, you always take me to the nicest places."

"You're more than welcome to swim back up the tunnel and wait for the others." David said, arching an eyebrow to match the small smile on his lips. Castiel narrowed his eyes slightly, but a small smile cracked his glower. Castiel pulled off his shoes and tied the laces together, then threw them over his shoulders.

"Try to keep up." Castiel remarked as he gripped the highest step and began climbing.

"Shouldn't be too hard, but I don't want to look up at your ugly ass." David retorted. "Evangeline, you go next."

"So you can ogle at my butt the entire climb? I think not." She replied defensively.

"Wouldn't be that bad, I promise." David said.

"Absolutely not." She said defiantly.

"So, you want be to climb above you? What if you fall?" David wondered. Evangeline's eyes glinted with a bit of temper for a second before she jabbed him in the chest with her finger. It felt like a metal prod spearing him in the ribs.

"David Crowley, I am not some delicate flower for you to defend." She said heatedly. "I am than able to take care of myself."

"I was just trying to be safe." David said defensively, but quieted as soon as she pointed her wand at him.

"Climb." She ordered, motioning for the ladder.

"Are you sure?" A jet of violent orange flame rushed past his face, its blistering heat causing David to flinch defensively.

"Climb, or the next one will take out your eyebrows." Evangeline said, jerking her head to the ladder again. This time, David silently gripped the nearest handhold, and began climbing as fast as he could. Below him, Evangeline smiled to herself and muttered, "Yeah, you better run. Although, I do have to admit, you have a really cute butt." David felt his face and ears heat, but tried to climb a bit faster. Castiel had put a lot of distance between them while they sat bickering. He was moving with the speed and grace of a professional rock climber. David guessed it must have been the results of several years of training at Trinity Academy. In less than a year, David's body was beginning to become rock solid and he was in the best shape of his life, but even with his strong body and training, he was beginning to tire trying to keep up with Castiel's blazing speed. When faced with a gap he could reach across, he would coil himself up, and leap up to it without an ounce of hesitation. Thirty feet up, David's sense of heights kicked back in and he was beginning to feel the tingle of fear crawling around inside of him.

There was a rush of air and something whipped past David so quick that he could hear it ripping the air. Alarmed, he looked up and saw Castiel looking down at him.

"What was that?" Castiel called out, his voice barely audible through the distance. David looked down and saw a body floating in the water face down. Evangeline was looking up at him, her face white with fear.

"I dunno. I'll check it out." David called back. "Keep climbing!" He turned back down to Evangeline and added, " You keep climbing too, okay?" She nodded quietly and David slid himself aside so she could pass him by. When she was clear, he released his grip and tilted horizontally over the water. His stomach lurched to his back and flopped around, then he pulled himself into a dive and penetrated the water surface. Bubbles surrounded him and he floated back to the surface to investigate the body.

David felt a cold hand gripping his heart with anxiety. For a few seconds, he just floated there staring at the corpse. It was a boy, he knew this as much just by glancing at the body, but the only people that should be down here were his friends. The head and legs were underwater, and just the back was above the surface. The uniform prevented him from identifying who it was. Slowly, he got closer and nudged him, hoping there would be some kind of response. David spotted a black blemish on his back like a small burn where a spell struck him. He could not identify what spell was used. It could have been a Stunning Spell, and he just fell off the edge. Any way he looked at it, one of his friends were dead and the rest were in serious danger. His hand was shaking when he reached under the surface and hefted the dead body onto its back.

David saw the face and immediately freaked out, swimming back to the ladder and began climbing again. The face, frozen permanently in pain and horror, had been horribly ravaged. Massive pieces had been missing from it, as well as most of the rest of the body. Something had devoured most of the torso and groin, and enough of the face had been left for it to be seared into his mind's eye. David had managed to catch one other detail about Yuri's dead body. Someone had killed him point blank from behind, meaning that the killer was someone he trusted.

His guts were twisting themselves into knots as he continued to ascend. There were feelings he had never dealt with before, and he could not bear thinking about who had done that to Yuri. He kept seeing Yuri's face while we was still alive. Images, moments they had spent together in the Cafeteria. Laughing, smiling, always positive and happy. Hot tears heated the chilled skin of his face and blurred his vision, forcing him to stop and wait for them to clear enough for him to continue.

He forced himself not to look up. He did not want Castiel or Evangeline to see his face, the situation he was in. It would be too embarrassing, and he did not think he could handle that too well at the moment. He made sure to climb at a clean and easy pace that would prevent him from catching up to the others before the summit. The entire time, there was one question that blurred in his thoughts again and again.

Snow, Vlad, or Shyla?


	29. Chapter 29

The lights in the cavern above twinkled like the stars in the night sky. In the lightless reaches of the dark cave, it was the only thing they could use to judge the distance. It gave them a small bit of hope, just enough to push through the increasingly painful climb. Their fingernails had torn, some down to the cuticle. Castiel paused long enough to rip of a torn fingernail with his teeth because it kept catching on the rocks. Their hands were shredded, covered in dozens of fine cuts that made them wince as sweat crept into them, but it did not burn half as much as the inferno that was growing in their muscles. They moved a less than half of their original pace, breathing heavily, not wasting any oxygen to gamble with speech. Still, the seemingly endless climb continued to spiral up into the darkness, disappearing somewhere past the lights.

Occasionally, they could hear noises echoing down to them, but they were always so distorted that no one could identify what it had originally been. There were also flashes of light that would briefly light up the cavern. They used it as a gauge to judge how much farther they had to travel.

Rocks cascaded over David's head, forcing him to turn and bury his face in the cloth of his arm to protect himself from the cloud of dust. A few smaller rocks pinged off his back and rolled past him as he was blasted by sand. There was a small gasp of surprise, which gave David just enough time to shift his wait and reach out into the abyss. His hand gripped Castiel's arm as he passed by and screamed as his shoulders nearly popped out of socket from the sudden weight change, nearly tearing his grip away from the ledge. Castiel swung and slammed into the rock wall hard enough to make David wince. Despite the impact, Castiel tried to shake the cobwebs from his head and peered around groggily. If David had one thing to say about Castiel, it would be that the man was extremely tough. Nevertheless, David's filthy face split into a small grin at the chance to heckle his companion.

"You okay?" David asked. Castiel seemed to regain his composure and looked up at David indignantly before regaining a foothold.

"Don't think this means I owe you one, Crowley." Castiel growled, preparing to resume his climb.

"Believe me, I am the last person who would want you within my debt. Next time, I won't be there to catch you. Keep that in mind." David replied venomously.

"Will you boys shut up and climb already?" Evangeline groaned, leaning back to look at David past Crowley. David and Castiel made eye contact for a moment. For that second, a lot of unspoken things passed between them, things they would never speak aloud to one another. David knew he had saved Castiel's life because he was relying on Castiel to watch his back, and Castiel was also secretly thankful. Neither of them said anything about it, but David turned away first and began climbing again.

He began grossly aware of the temperature inside the cavern. Down below, it had been nice and cool, but the hard stone below his hands was nearly searing his flesh, like a cup with hot water in it. No one said anything, attributing it to the exhaustion, but he had felt the cool flesh of Castiel's arm, and that made the hot rock stick out even more. Light drawing back the curtains in a dark room, realization filled David so quickly, he nearly let go of the rocks in surprise.

They were in a thermal vent. A long vertical shaft built to scrape away ashes and debris inside of a forge or furnace. The light above them had to be a fire of some sort, lighting up the cavern whenever someone opened up the metal cover. The noises they kept hearing had to be someone working, or the sound of the fire reaching down to them.

Why did someone build a furnace in the middle of an island in the sky?, he wondered to himself. For what purpose did they deem it necessary. His mind ran over all the information he had learned about the island he called home, and in the end, he realized that he knew almost nothing about it, and that was still more than most people.

"Hey! What's the hold up?" Castiel grouched from below. David looked down as Castiel for a moment before climbing, this time with renewed vigor. Whoever killed Yuri had to be in that room.

* * *

The Aegis ached in his hand as he blocked another chop by the massive rock construct that was pursuing him relentlessly. He ducked under the golem's arm as its massive arm swished through the air above him. It had swung too wide and Snow made it pay by driving the point of his blade up in between the rocks where the shoulder should have been. The golem did not even notice a small chip missing from its shoulder as it threw Snow off and tried to stomp on him when he landed. The golem was far too slow to catch Snow. Not enough to severely injure him anyways. Snow was beginning to look like he had been in a horrible accident and gotten road rash on cement, but if it bothered him, it did not show.

The two green points of light that Snow figured were eyes glowed brighter again, as it had the last time it got upset. This was not a creature he could defeat with his bare hands, but Snow needed both hands on his sword in order to defend himself from the monster's brute strength. In any case, there was not very many spells that he could think of to fight it off. He had learned a few basic charms and he was pretty good at a few curses he found in a book at the library, but nothing near the power needed to put this thing down.

Snow rolled to the side as its boulder sized hand crashed onto the floor. He spun around, not wasting the opportunity, and stabbed the sword at the creature's wrist. It sparked as it hit stone, and left a niche in the rock, but nothing more.

Sensing the opportunity, Snow turned tail and ran as hard as he could. The golem's earthquake like cry of surprise propelled him faster as he could hear its thunderous steps pounding behind him as it tried to catch up. After a few moments, Snow spotted a smaller corridor to the left. It was far too small for the golem to squeeze through, and it would buy him much needed time to put some distance between them. He slid to a stop and dove through it just when he heard a rocky smash hit the ground right behind him. He did not stop to see how it reacted. He did not even glance back. He just ran. In front of him, there was a wide gap where the floor was missing. He slid to a stop just before the edge and glanced down.

There did not seem to be a bottom.

Snow swallowed nervously and could hear the golem throwing its weight into the stone wall, attempting to break its way through. He looked around for any alternatives. There were not very many. He looked at the gap and tried to judge the distance. It was far too far to jump, he concluded. Even on his best day, he would still just be a few inches short of the goal. He let his eyes wander, trying to find another way. His eyes rested on a torch on the wall. It was a long piece of wood, jammed into a carved hole in the wall at an angle. He had spotted it, even in the dim light, and a strange feeling crept into his gut, squirming up his insides.

He turned and jogged a fair distance, counting stone as best as he could until he figured he had gone at least twenty feet. More than enough for a running start. If he was his old self, he would never have thought about something as reckless as this. Then again, his old self probably would have been dead by now. For a moment, he wondered what had came over him that started this whole process.

He briefly reminded himself to punch David if he ever got alive. Snow took a real deep breath and turned to face the gap. His heart was already racing in anticipation, and he was beginning to have second thoughts. A loud crack as the wall behind him began to relent against the force crashing into it quickly pushed those thoughts away, and he began to sprint.

Snow had never really ran as fast and as hard as he could before. Somewhere, deep in his subconscious, he always held himself back from giving 100%, always saving enough energy just in case he needed it. Even in class, racing against David or running the miles, Snow could never get himself to put his own being into a single task before this. This was it. If he did not give everything he had now, then there would be nothing afterward. He would die. The surge of adrenaline once he realized this was nearly narcotic. The resulting speed was astonishing, but the loud rumbling behind him only pushed him harder. He had only been running a few seconds, but Snow's entire body was so hot he was afraid of passing out. He trembled mentally as he watched the gap grow closer. Ten feet. Seven. Five.

His mind retreated as a primal instinct to survive took over. Without hesitating, he stepped over the abyss and began to run along the wall. He felt the bottoms of his feet slide slightly, but they were moving so fast that he did not have time to fall. As he began to lose forward momentum, his hands grasped the wood torch and used it to swing himself forward the rest of the way.

He woke up from the experience dangling form the ledge by his hands. Acting quickly, he pulled himself up and rolled over once he reached the top. He felt exhausted. His muscles were all twitching violently as if they were trying to jump away. His body was sore and his breathing was ragged.

He caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head and nearly died of horror as he saw the massive construct running down the path towards him, obviously about to try and perform the same trick that he did. A small whimper escaped his mouth as he forced himself into a seated position. He looked down as his leg and saw the reason for the sharp pain. His foot was twisted unnaturally to the left side, rolling out of socket at the ankle. As soon as he saw it, the pain of it shot up his leg and set his mind on fire with long needles of agony. There was a small pool of blood seeping out of his shoe and then he knew that it was more than broken.

The monster reached the ledge and jumped. For a moment, Snow just starred into its eyes, and felt a crackle of its intelligence fizzling in the back of his mind. They were thinking the same thing.

Oh, fuck.

The golem has judged the distance correctly, but it failed to notice something that Snow had overlooked as well. The ceiling was not level. In fact, it was the remnants of a old staircase. Snow had barely missed it himself, and in the dark light, had not even seen it pass him by. The golem had also failed to notice it. It was so focus on it pray, it simply leapt the distance and did not register the obstacle until it hit something mid leap, something that cut nearly all of its momentum away.

It roared angrily as fell, its right hand barely managing to grip the ledge. Snow knew he did not have long until it was up again, and his mind was racing with ideas. He was not going anywhere with his foot in that shape, but in order to even try and set it, it would have to be facing the correct way. His eyes watered in fear and apprehension, but nevertheless he placed the leather bound handle of his Aegis in his mouth and bit into it until his jaw ached. His breath quickened and he squeezed his eyes shut as he carefully picked up his foot in his hands.

Pop. Pop. Crunch.

Snow spit out the sword and screamed in awful pain, growling and cursing in attempts that the pain would be slightly dulled. He tore off his sleeve and wrapped it around his ankle, crying out again as it tightened around the flayed flesh underneath his pants. Hands shaking, Snow drew his wand and muttered the only spell he could think of that might fix his leg. His face was pale and his lips were a slight blue as he uttered, "Reparo."

He felt the his ankle stiffen, then it grew tighter and tighter until it felt like his leg was being wrenched off. Finally, it stopped and Snow tested it out. It would not move. His ankle was stiffer than the rock he sat on. The pain had lessened, so he stood up and tested it out again.

There was absolutely no difference. He might as well had a prosthetic limb in its place, he thought in dismay.

A noise nearby drew his attention as he saw the golem's other hand slowly draw over the edge. It was strong, and it did not tire, but Snow wondered if it had been given enough strength to lift itself up. Slowly, he drew his wand from his pocket and limped over to the edge.

The golem was dangling off the side, peering up at him with its green eyes. Once again, he felt the fizzle of intelligence in the back of his mind coming from it. It was not sentient, but it was smart enough to work out basic problems. Briefly, Snow wondered if it had feelings. Was there any emotion in those two green dots? Was it afraid?

While he thought about this, it tried to reach for him, pushing away all concern. Snow pointed his wand at its face and let his thoughts breech into the connection it was making with his mind. It would know fear before the end.

"Stupefy." Snow muttered the spell David had drilled him on night after night. A jet of red collided with its head with enough force to make it lose it grip. Its bright green eyes widened slightly and it roared terribly as it fell and disappeared into the darkness. Snow stood there waiting for an eternity.

He never heard it hit the bottom.

* * *

Myr ran his finger through the stain of still wet blood on the stone floor and examined the prints in the dust. He had expected a body, but was not surprised to nothing waiting for him. His golem simply was not enough to kill Snow, just as the Abolthydra had not been enough to finish off Crowley. It made no difference, he decided. He had all the pieces to the game, and they were in all the right places.

Slowly, he dragged the blood on the finger across his tongue. It sent tingles through his body and excited him in a way no woman could. The thought triggered a memory and he smiled to himself. He had nearly forgotten. He had earned himself a kill today. A delicious death. His Imperius Curse was flawless, his puppet had done exactly as ordered.

He draw a long knife from inside his shirt and pulled up his left sleeve. His arm was covered in hundred of deep scars, brown with age, each a well earned kill. Each memory never failed to get him aroused. Cooing sweetly to himself, Myr pressed the point off the knife deep into the meat of his forearm. The pain sending spasms of pleasure to his groin as his eyes rolled up into his head. He went slowly, making it last as long as possible. Blood hit the ground, but it was too thick in consistency. He was not surprised. His heart had not pumped blood through his body in over a century.

Myr withdrew the knife sooner than he would have liked it. He looked down at his handy work with a smile. He would have more to add later. It was too soon to lose it over one kill. He wanted to savor them all. And, when Crowley was finished, he would allow himself to climax. Myr inhaled sharply at the thought, his hand tracing the deep scars across his abdomen. They were his most cherished kills, and he had a nice clean spot ready for Crowley to take his place.

He willed the wound to close and watched, amused as always, as the skin seemed to stitch itself together and heal at a rapid rate, leaving only a fresh pink scar in its wake. Next time, he vowed to himself, he would perform the kill himself. His head turned to the side at an unnatural angle as he listened to his surroundings.

"Where are you, my tasty snack?" He asked the darkness. He pulsed, almost as if his spirit flew out in all directions at once before it disappeared. A smile made its way onto his face as he felt Snow walking a corridor not to far from him. He spun around and ran down the hall, his legs carrying him at an unnatural speed, gifted to him by his Master as part of his undeath. First, he would finish off this remaining morsel, then, after he had his fun, he would begin the search for Crowley and his remaining friends.

Soon. He promised himself with a chuckle. So very soon. His body broke apart into many pieces as he ran, each piece coming to life and flying off throughout the corridors, screeching in delight in search of their prey.


	30. Chapter 30

David felt the taste of bile rise up in his throat when he laid eyes on them. He had seen them before, in Diagon Alley, but at the time, they had not been feasting upon several rotting corpses that lay scattered about the large chamber. The room was rank with the smell of rotting meat. Imagine bloated corpses, ripe with raw, squirming maggots. The air itself tastes like the smell of mildew, rotten eggs, spoiled milk, and human waste, and they were not even that close. They were pinned in the corner, watching in horror as the nearly shapeless creatures enjoyed their sickening meal. In the light, at least they had a form, something like a hooded monster he saw in a book called a Dementor. They had no form down here. They were like blobs of black sludge, constantly shifting their form as if they could no decide what they were. When David caught a look at their faces, it made his mind lurch and spin, he had to look away from such horrible concentrations of evil. Looking at them was like nails screeching across a chalkboard inside your brain. Millions of them.

Their faces warped and changed constantly, as if they were running through every facial feature combination possible trying to decide which one they wanted. There was an absolute wrongness to them, and it took him a few minutes to discover that it was his mind doing the shifting, as it was having difficulties dealing with what he was seeing.

David turned away as a seizure overtook him, causing him to black out. When he recovered, his face was wet, whether from tears or from a foaming mouth, he could not tell. The world came back to his eyes like twin daggers piercing through his ocular orbits. He remembered why he was like that in the first place, and the mere memory of them forcefully drove him into the fetal position like a 2-ton hammer slammed against his skull. His bones aches painfully and pure fire burned his muscles, as he attempted to recover. He tastes blood and realized that at some point he must have bitten his tongue.

"We can't stay here." Castiel whispered so quietly that David had barely caught his words. His voice was raw, as if he had been screaming, but the fact that they were not being swarmed and eaten alive meant that he had cried out. Manly.

Slowly, David reached his hand over and carefully signed a message back to him. He did it slowly, so that the movement would not draw any attention.

'What do you suggest?' He wondered, holding out the last sign for emphasis on the question. Castiel shifted uncomfortably on the balls of his feet and peered back over the ledge of table they were using for cover. He flinched and clenched his eyes tight, and David shivered and covered his mouth to prevent an outcry as the images flooded back to him.

Evangeline seemed to pick up what they were talking about and acted before either of them realized that she had even moved. Evangeline confidently strolled towards the group and tapped her foot as she waited for them to notice her. She looked straight at them, without flinching or cringing.

As a matter of fact, she did not react a single bit to seeing the shapeless atrocities before her. Instead, there was a cool heat blazing in her eyes.

"Evangeline! What are you doing?" David hissed, trying not to be too loud. She looked back at him and simply smiled the saddest smile he had every seen. She was filthy from the grimy rocks, her hair was a mess from the water, she had cuts and scrapes from the climb and their earlier fall, but her eyes were hot and fierce from a deep seeded anger. Standing there, she embodied pure angelic wrath and intense purity. David was struck by her true beauty that nothing on this earth could tarnish, saw through the veils she hid behind to the real beauty underneath. Her cute bow of a mouth moved to shape words, and it was a few moments before his brain comprehended what she had said.

"Saving you, dumb ass." She giggle, drawing her wand. Behind her, a black tidal wave of featureless things rushing towards her. David heard someone screaming, and noted that it was probably him as he watched her wand point between the eyes of the closest of them.

"_Fuego._" Flames, thick and orange, burst from the tip of her wand and snaked around anything that came at her. They screeched and hissed as the flames made their skin boil and pop, but they barely slowed down at all. Their hands formed into angry claws and raked out towards her.

"_Vigoare_!" A shield of unseen force blasted from the tip of her wand out in all directions, blowing them all away before they could touch her. Cracks formed in the floor and in the roof around her, shaking dust from the surrounding stone.

David was mesmerized. Castiel came up and dragged David away forcefully, leaving Evangeline alone.

Evangeline had always had troubles with magic. It seemed that no matter how hard she tried, if she messed up in the slightest bit, things blew up or caught on fire. In Charms class, when everyone was instructed to have butterflies fly out of their wands, beautifully color butterflies would appear for everyone but her. When it was her turn, butterflies made of pure fire erupted from her wand and shot around the room, setting desks on fire. It all made complete sense when he thought about it.

David felt his head try to split open as they tried to envelope her again. Some of them seemed to noticed Castiel dragging David, half conscious down a corridor and tore after them.

"_Pyrolancium_" A beam of solid orange fire as thick as David's thigh pierced through the middle of the ground, the heat from it causing them to burst into flames. Even David was forced to shield himself from the pure heat of the spell. Their hearing returned slowly. Evangeline was following them, back pedaling down the corridor while she filled the tunnel before with fire from her wand.

David reached up and gripped Castiel's collar, pulling him close so David could easily be heard.

Castiel searched David's eyes for only a moment before setting David down and running to assist in the assault. He planted his feet next to Evangeline and fired stunning spells in rapid succession wherever her fire did not reach.

"There's no end to them!" He cried out, pointing at a loose stone in the ceiling not far from where they stood. Evangeline nodded and filled the entire passage with a blast of fire as Castiel fell back and dragged David out of danger. When David was secure, he turned and pointed his wand at the stone.

"_Forsotra!_" The stone was pulled from the ceiling with enough force that it exploded into powder, followed shortly by a wall of stone as the passage began to collapse. Dozens of black globs flew past the falling debris and swirled around them at a dizzying pace. Castiel and Evangeline went back to back as they fired spells at them as they sped by. There were only a few of them, but they moved at such speeds that they just avoided the spells. Evangeline filled the passage with one last gout of flame before they turned to retrieve David.

He was gone.

David awoke feeling sick. His stomach was making his entire esophagus feel tight, like he could throw up at any moment. Not only that, but there was a heat to it that made short upwards waves heave from his stomach. It was like being filled with hot water and your body was trying to find someway to heave it out. The sickness left his dizzy and disoriented as he lay on the cool floor. He did not want to get up, but he could barely remember something that forced him to sit up and pay attention to his surroundings.

He was in near complete darkness. The only light coming from a long vertical line of blinding brightness.

His arms and legs were sore, several spots were extremely tender with what felt like the after effects of an extremely powerful grip that nearly crushed his limbs. Mentally he shivered as he felt the physic odor of something extremely vile circling him in the darkness.

David managed to shamble along the floor until his back was pressed straight against hard stone, the light source directly in front of him. This bought him a little bit of time while he struggled to get his brain moving. He heard a low rumbled, almost like a humorless chuckle, and that threw his thoughts into disarray once again. He was just like those helpless frightened children he had seen somewhere, being chased by terrible actors in monster suits.

Monster. A single, violent image of many horrid _things_ tearing into flash. The world slammed into him hard enough to make his eyes clench shut and his jaw to lock. He did what came naturally, he threw up. Several eons later, the world stopped spinning enough for David to lift his head off of the floor. Those _things_ had touched him. Their filthy hands had carried him away from his friends, their touch bordered on poison, and he had absorbed enough of it to nearly immobilize him with intense illness.

One of them had stayed behind to watch him.

He could feel it in his mind, circling him like a buzzard waiting for its meal. Occasionally, it would drift close enough for him to practically feel it touching the edges of his mind. He had to get away. If he stayed in this room, he would wind up just like those bodies. Briefly, David imagined the way it would feel, having that many ravenously hungry mouths tear at his flesh. He flinched and clenched his eyes again, turning his head away. With an effort of will, he pushed it out of his mind and regained its focus.

Carefully, David managed to slide his feet close enough to put his weight on them and stand up, most of the work being done by the wall behind him. Now standing, David's perspective changed, allowing him to perceive where he was.

It was an old store room. The source of light was from a barely cracked door on the other side of the room. Not only that, but he was alone. He could hear faint breathing of a few other people somewhere in the room. Evangeline and Castiel. It made sense, he thought, they had to have been pulled along when he was captured. It was the only way they would still be alive.

Even with the dim light, David squinted and looked around the chamber. He barely made out two shapes, darker than the blackness around them, and immediately headed over to the closest one. He stumbled over to it and dropped to his knees next to its back. It was a girl, but she was taller than Evangeline. David rolled her onto her back and recognized the hair immediately. It was Shyla. She was barely breathing.

David shook her with far more force than he intended. Fear clenched at him that she would not wake. That he had been to late, and had arrived only just in time to watch the moments of her passing. She was in really bad shape. She had cuts everywhere. Her clothes were tattered, and he could see far more beneath than he felt comfortable with. Nevertheless, his teenage hormones did not fail him as he tried to cover her up as best he could, trying not to touch her. He shook her once more, and nearly cried out when she made a noise of discomfort and began to move around.

She breathed in sharply when she first woke up and her head jumped up off of the floor. David instantly saw the rise in panic, and quickly gripped his hand over her mouth to prevent her from crying out. Her head snapped to his face and her eyes frantically searched his as he made a slow and quiet hushing noise while placing his finger to his lips. Whatever he was feeling from the toxin, he imagined it was a lot worse for her. Knowing she was awake and would not give them away, David moved over to the other form in the room.

It was Vladimir. He was laying on his stomach, his back covered in blood. David quickly checked for any protrusions before carefully rolling Vlad onto his back. The motion seemed to rouse Vlad, and his hand slowly rose to rub his eyes.

"What...what's going on?" He asked sleepily. David quickly hushed him and continued inspecting Vlad for injuries. Besides all the blood on his back, and the hundreds of cuts and scraped, there appeared to be no other serious injuries. David stood back up and looked around the room as a cold chill settled into the pit of his stomach. Where was Snow? Where were his other friends? Involuntarily, he remembered the glassy stare of Yuri's dead body and wondered briefly if they were dead.

Shyla simply sat there blankly, looking around the room and shambling around as if lost. David cursed and shifted his attention to Vladimir, who was still dusting himself off.

"Yuri..." Vlad asked fearfully. "...is he...dead?"

"We can't stay here." David said, his voice cracking. He walked over to Shyla, who stood shakily on her feet and swayed like she was off balance. David checked her for a fever and looked into her eyes. They were dull and glazed over, like she was having trouble understanding what was going on. David sympathized, but two dull thuds slammed into his heart along with the thoughts that came with them. Either Snow killed Yuri, or someone else had killed Yuri and Snow might not be far behind. Both thoughts made the sick feeling return in force, but this time he clenched his teeth and tried to power through it.

David checked his hip and his suspicions were correct. His Aegis was missing, and so was his wand. David carefully examined himself and found that the only weapons that remained was his boot knife and the enchanted ring he picked up in Oasis. Thankfully, they hadn't noticed his bracer or his Tome.

The light was not as bright as he had thought it was. It was simply a candle that happened to be in the right position to provide light through the doorway. He slowly pushed the large wooden door aside and went completely still.

Before him stood the doorway into the Inner Sanctum, the sealed off area in the center of Oasis. It was sealed shut.

Just by looking at it, he could tell that is had been shut since it was sealed centuries ago. Not even the dust on the floor had been disturbed. A quick examination would have resulted in the knowledge that almost everyone who laid eyes on the doorway had stopped at the same distance as David. No one had dared to get closer.

The door was a giant circle made of metal. The size of this door was hard to describe. It was the first time in his life that he actually felt small. Not small like a child. Small like a house cat or a puppy. Its size was truly cowering, the unclean feeling of unworthiness crashed into David as if he were sand in the ocean storm. The power of the movement knocked him to his knees as the strength rushed out of him like the air in his lungs.

…

Then he let the image sink.

The size of the door had overloaded his brain so much, it had taken it longer than average for the thought process to begin. The images flooded into his retina so fast that he flinched and felt hotness coming from his eyes. When he opened his eyes everything was cast in an electric blue haze, like a filter had been placed over his eyes. There was a lot of light coming from an overhead source of unknown origin. It cast a pillar of light in the darkness of his mind. Gave him something to focus on as he recovered from the experience. The light was illuminating perfectly a massive landscape. There were thick lines of silver crafted into giant names that were pinned into the land so deep they were almost flat. The most sickening thing was that it almost looked real, as if he were looking on it from very far away.

Set in the middle was a titanic diamond, basking in the bright light and fragmenting it in all directions in the form of sparks of every color imaginable. This was incredibly blended into the painting on the door in the form of clouds. The clouds were wispy and lightly spread about the landscape liberally and eventually disappeared in a sea of fog that lined the outer rim of the circle.

He blinked as the idea hit him. He blinked again when he realized that he had not understood it instantly like he had done before. Then, a chill began in the small of his back, creeping his way up his back, squeezing through his shoulder blades, whipped up his neck and felt it smash into his brain with a unearthly amount of force.

It was so intricate. There were hidden images and subtle hints that were actually the wire frame of the true image each layer contained. David sucked in a breath, closed his eyes for a second to mentally prepare his brain to begin cataloging all of the imagery and committing it to memory. When he felt ready, he opened his eyes.

The image was really quite simple. It was a massive painting of a beautiful landscape. Enriched with Magic, the painting was moving. You could see the breeze rustling through the far trees and track it across to the golden grass of open plains. The bottom was all snow and ice. There were glaciers that eventually melted into a raging ocean filled with frigid icebergs.

Moving clockwise, black magma and steam was rising out of the sea. It turned into lava on a jagged distant mountain range. The sky was black from soot and ash. Volcanoes belched fire and brimstone into the sky and giant explosions of fire magma. There were burnt out forests all over surrounding hills and the land was black for miles. The smoke rose to the top of the circle. It spread apart and the warm air brought moisture and a breeze. The entire sky was in front of him. He could look up at it as if he was gazing at it from a hillside. The light from the fires tinted some of the clouds pink, but mostly they were made of the purest white cotton. They got thicker and thicker until they met the rising forest of towering snow-capped mountains, where everything disappeared behind a veil of fog. Unable to carry the weight through their ascension, the clouds were dumping all of their moisture. It landed on the Highland forests. Rain became puddles. Puddles formed into streams. Streams formed into rivers. Rivers rushed over waterfalls that disappeared into a thickly wooded mountain range. It was vibrant and full of life. The river eventually reappeared from the forest and met up with the ocean.

Did you ever seen something that struck the cord in the center of your being? That sensation of harmony and resemblance within that scene? This washed through David and became a swirling maelstrom in the pit of icy stomach. His breath puffed out in a mist as the sound of the moving waterfalls and chirping birds graced his ears. It was a masterful display of magic and technique. It was harmony and balance.

David slowly began to walk.

Most people who laid eyes on the landscape often found themselves too captivated to even consider that this was possible. This action proved to be the key element to solving the riddle before him. The different position moved enough to reveal that it was all an illusion, and sitting no more than four feet in front of them was a modest wooden door with a tarnished metal handle.

David was breathing heavily as water flowed from his eyes from the power of the experience. He recovered instantly and quickly wiped away the tears from his swollen red eyes. He had never experienced an exhaustion close to this in his entire life. He felt leathery and worn, frayed on the edges and heavily creased with age. His tongue was numb and thick in his mouth, it was far too limp and useless to perform speech to his companions, who just watched him blankly.

Taking a few more steps, everything turned pure white as he finished passing through the illusion. Vlad and Shyla looked like they were fading away behind a thick white haze. The door looked far more ragged compared to the clean white edges and polished white walls and floor. David reached out to touch the doorknob, but his fingertips froze a moment from contact.

The door slid open.

Davis pushed the wood back, the rusted hinges of the ancient door creaked in protest as it slowly swung open.

He was standing before the Heart. The bottom half of the crystal tower pierced through the ceiling and nearly made contact with a glowing purple pool of liquid Mana. Streams of twinkling stars and flickering white lights weaved around the pillar several times, all flowing slowly in the same direction. The walls were adorned with nothing. Despite the importance of this room, it was barren and empty.

There were no monsters preparing to attack Trinity Academy. There was no sign of any evil at all.

Vlad pushed past him and moved into the chamber with haste. Vlad walked to the center of the chamber and stepped onto the platform that overlooked the Mana. He looked up at the pillar before him and he began to laugh quietly. Slowly, at first. It seemed to grow confidence as it turned into a chuckle, then into a laugh. David stood there, staring at his friend in horror as he began to laugh insanely, his body curved backward, hand covering his eyes.

Something about it seemed very black.

There was a flash of green light and David spun around as he heard something slam hard. Shyla was standing behind him, her wand was out and had been pointed at his back. A little bit of smoke trailed from its tip. David felt his torso frantically, searching for holes or any blood that he had not noticed. Shyla shifted forward slightly, forcing David to freeze in place. He did not have his wand, but if he needed to, he would use his bracer to defend himself. Shyla's eyes slid closed and she feel face first onto the hard stone and did not move a single twitch. Something about someone not catching themselves when they fall was oddly horrifying. Behind her, face of his face covered in alarmingly red blood, was Snow. He limped heavily forward and felt Shyla's pulse before stepping over to her and placed a steadying hand on David's shoulder.

David's mouth continued to move, trying to find the words to ask what the hell was going on, but no sounds were coming out. Snow calmly pressed David's shoulder, kindly moving his friend aside so he could pass by without bumping into him.

"Is this worth it?" Snow called out to Vlad. Vlad's laughter slowly lowered into chuckles, which then died out silently. Vladimir slowly turned his head until it was almost turned too far and David felt sick to his stomach. Vlad's eyes were maddeningly too-wide, a giant smile split his face, and there was a burning insanity behind his movements that David had never seen before. There was a shift in his demeanor and the smile broke. Vlad's face slid into a inhumanly neutral face, his eyes grew intensely distant as all life in them vanished.

"Yes." Vlad's response was almost like an automation, emotionless and measured. David felt like he was falling apart inside, but Snow stepped forward and took charge.

"You killed Yuri." Snow accused him, his fists clenched tight in silent fury.

"Yes." Vladimir replied again.

"What about Shyla?" Snow motioned with his head to the unconscious girl behind him.

"A simple Imperius Curse, I assure you." Vlad replied again. "It was easy to bend her mind and have her cast all the spells."

"Why?" Snow wondered. David could feel a small flicker of the hurt in Snow's words.

"I exist solely to do my Master's bidding. Such a question means nothing to me." Vlad responded coolly, but a smile split his face. When he spoke, it was in a different voice than before.

"Did you like my golem, maggot?"

"What are you." David murmured, watching his old friend slowly become someone else before his eyes.

"Simple, idiot. I'm dead." Vladimir cackled madly. "Dead -dead. Long gone. Passed. Rotted. Wormy, maggoty ruins deep in a unmarked grave somewhere. What you see before you is what happens when you give a rotting corpse to a mad genius with a lot of time to kill." With the end of his sentence, Vladimir gripped his clothes and tore them open, revealing his ashen skinned body. Large parts of the person Vladimir had been were gone. He was covered in deep unhealed scars from where someone had apparently stapled on the parts they needed. His undead skin was covered in pinkish scars where he had cut himself over and over again, overlapping and crisscrossing each other occasionally, like someone had been keeping a tally.

"I will have too more to add to my wonderful collection when my Master arrives." Vladimir cooed. Something inside of Snow snapped, and he spat a venomous curse at Vladimir as he drew his wand. "_STUPEFY_!" A red jet of light soared toward Vlad, who quickly drew his wand, and dismissed the spell with a lazy sideways flick.

"YOU ARE A BOY!" Vladimir roared at him, a jet of green light missing Snow by a few inches. "I have had countless centuries in which to perfect my craft, and you, Yukio Hiruma, are a third rate piece of shit wizard who knows next to nothing about magic! In what universe do you dare think that your fucking piece of shit novice magic compares to mine?!" Snow roared in challenge as he dove out of the way of another Killing Curse and fired another Stunning spell before diving behind cover. David flexed his left hand and held it out toward Vladimir.

"Don't make me do this!" David called out to him. Vladimir spun around with inhuman speed as if he had forgotten David was even there, and turned to face him almost as if it were the first time.

"Don't you worry, Crowley. My Master shall be here to take care of you very, very soon!" Vlad cackled gleefully. "You just wait there patiently, tay-tay?"

"The hell I will!" David replied. "_Incarcerous!_" Ropes appeared around Vlad and tightened around him, binding him in place. Vladimir's face was purple with anger as he began to tear his way free screaming at the top of his lungs. "YOU FUCKING HALFBREED!"

"_Petrificus Totalus!"_ Vlad's arms once again snapped to his sides and he began completely still. Snow pulled himself from behind his cover, but kept his wand fixated on Vladimir's still form. "David," he called, ", are you alright?"

"Yeah." David replied weakly, his eyes staying on Vlad's. They darted about madly as he tried to struggle. He could see the hate seething from his eyes whenever they made eye contact. Inside his frozen prison, Vladimir was raging against his cage, chomping at the bit, trying to find a way to break himself free.

Clapping made David flinch. It was steady and measure, with just enough strength to make it audible. David turned slowly to see a figure slowly walking through the door.

He was stooped with great age, depending heavily on a wooden staff. His shoulders were covered in a thick dark purple cloak that looks like it would always remain warm and dry. Flowing from the dark reaches of the hood of the cloak, long silver hair matched an equally impressive beard. The man's skin was partially translucent with many liver spots and wrinkles everywhere there was exposed skin. But, there was no frailty in the movements or figure. A lion with a limp was still an extremely dangerous animal, and David could not help but recoil as far out of the way as he could as the elderly man approached them.

"We can not have this." the man spoke softly as he approached Vladimir. He waved a hand and Vlad dropped into a heap on the platform like someone had cut his strings. His voice was not weak, or broken, or tinged with age. It was strong, resonate, and clear, much like it always was in David's dreams. Even if the image in his mind was not the same as what stood before him, David felt a cool air of certainty that it was Gylel'drazi.

"Rise." the dark master said sternly to the crumbled heap that lay at his feet. Vladimir reacted instantly to his master's command. He floated off the floor onto his feet with ease and dusted himself off before turning and bowing deeply. Gylel'drazi reached out and patted his servant with a withered hand. "You have done greatly " he continued, "once again, you have proven thyself worthy. Did they give you trouble, my pet?"

"Not really. " Vladimir replied. "I would have had them in a few minutes time. You needn't tire yourself coming in person, Master." Vlad seemed to have overstepped his bounds as a withered hand struck him across the face, sending him to the ground where he began to spasm as if he were in great pain from an invisible force.

"We do not have enough time for you games, Myr." Gylel'drazi snapped angrily enough to make David flinch back as if he had been struck by a whip.

"F-f-f-f-f-f-forgive m-me..." Vladimir replied as he shook. Not once did Vlad cry out or ask for the punishment to end. Gylel'drazi walked past his construct and began examining the Crystal Tower carefully.

"Quickly, Myr. We are low on time." Gylel'drazi breathed. Vlad's seizure ceased instantly and he lifted himself off the floor before wiping the foaming spittle from his mouth. His form contorted impossibly just before he exploded into hundred of spiders and insects that raced out the door with supernatural speed. Snow and David made eye contact after watching Vlad leave and the look said it all. What the hell?

Gylel'drazi seemed to have forgotten that they were there. Instead, he had began to draw on the circular platform with purple light that reminded David of those OPEN signs you see at all the stores. It took only a few lines for David to realize that it was the beginnings of a Spell Circle. David thrust out his left hand and snarled, releasing a thick gout of raging fire from the palm of his hand. Gylel'drazi spun around in a blur and batted the flame aside. The thick cluster scattered apart and Snow had to jump behind a large boulder to protect himself.

"You are not ready...Boy." Gylel'drazi said in a low warning as the flames continued to burn on his invisible shield . Snow leapt through the flames and began firing any jinx or curse that came to mind. Gylel'drazi negated each of them calmly, each with a completely different color and effect, without uttering a single word. David withdrew his power from his spell and ran towards Snow.

"Can you buy me twenty seconds?" David called out as they passed each other. David pulled out his boot knife and tossed it up in the air.

"Easily!" Snow replied, catching the blade and twirling it to a better position in his hand like a practiced expert. David pulled out his Tome and began flipping through the pages for something that was nagging in his mind. Some sort of spell that he really wanted, but he did not know it yet. His fingers flipped through the pages before his eyes could even see them, taking right to where he wanted to go without even knowing what he was doing.

His finger suddenly pressed down on the page, pointing straight at the spell he had been looking for. A strange static raised up his spin, and David felt his will flow through his hands as he released his hands on the book. It hung in space, exactly in the position he had left it in, which was David's preferred reading location in front of him. He raised up his left hand in front of him and a small blue spell circle appeared in the area above his hand. He focused it into a small ball of white blue energy and clenched it on his hand. It was extremely cold in his hand, almost like ice, but it was vibrating lightly. David's eyes rested on the spell, glowing red hot on the page, and instantly closed his eyes. His right hand came up and slammed the book shut. At the same time, he stepped forward with his right foot.

"_Fulgoris Luxi Lancearmeno._" David whispered, holding up his left hand with the palm up. He remembered the words in his book. All Latin. Each a word for an energy or an object, and he had simply put them together. The blue light crackled with electricity the moment before it burst into the shape of a incredible overly massive spear made entirely of blue light and electricity. It made the air hum and whoosh like it saw some kind of radioactive energy in his hands. Snow seemed to sense it and ceased his barrage of spells and began sprinting from the outer wall. The moment David was out of the way, Gylel'drazi saw David's spell. It also happened to be the instant David threw it. Pivoting his foot, David threw it like it was a baseball, but thrust his palm out, his will forcing the spear towards his target.

Gylel'drazi stepped to the side. It was simple. Just a step to the side, but it was enough to place him away from the focus point of the attack, and as simply and brushing it aside, he pushed his arms out before it hit him. His shield slammed into the attack from the side, and deflected it. It slammed into the far cavern ceiling, where it exploded and hundred of lighting bolts struck the stone. The invisible shield was smoking, but it flickered away after a moment.

"Impressive magic." Gylel'drazi acknowledged. "I shall like to have a take inside that book." He drew a wand, David's wand, and beckoned towards the book with his finger. The Tome did not move an inch. Confusion furrowed the old man's brow, and he beckoned again, much to the same fashion. David bounced the book a little and shook his head. The Tome belonged to David. It was invested with his magic, and no one but he was its Keeper.

Snow appeared in the background, in the perfect position for a blindside assault.

"Why do you have my wand?" David asked. "I thought you could do magic without it."

"Tis simply a focus. Whether I use it ...or not, it makes no difference, it only lightens the workload." Gylel'drazi replied.

"Did you take the Aegis as well?" he pressed, trying not to let his gaze shift to Snow and give him away.

"Your elven blade?" Gylel'drazi wondered. "I imparted that item to my apprentice. As a gift."

"And I thank you Master!" Vlad cried out suddenly, making David flinch. Snow spun around and managed to parry an attack with the dagger. Vladimir attacked with strong, swift attacks with David's Aegis in hand. Snow had more training and experience in using weapons, and quickly started to press his attack.

"Myr." Gylel'drazi said, his voice sounding like a command. Vladimir separated himself from the fight enough to toss over a staff. It was black and made of wood that was twisted and gnarled as if it represented everything corrupt in existence. Gylel'drazi tucked David's wand into his sash and gripped the staff with both hands. David could still hear Snow and Vlad fighting, but his instincts were screaming at him to run as he continued to examine the evil wooden staff.

"I prefer my own focus." Gylel'drazi said coolly, tapping it once on the ground. The sound of it, like rolling thunder, echoed. The silence that followed was instant. Snow was frozen in position about to deliver a killing blow on Vladimir, who was laying on his back and breathing hard on the floor. David tried to raise his arm to help, and discovered that he was equally immobilized.

"That...thank you, Master." Vladimir panted.

"Believe me when I say that it was not to save your miserable life. We can not afford any more distractions." Gylel'drazi hissed, turning once again to his spell work on the ground. David tried to remain calm. He could not even close his eyes. It was very similar to the Full Body Bind Curse, he noted. What was the counter-curse to that curse again? He thought about it and through about it again and again. He hardly noticed anything until he felt a cold steel blade slowly sliding into the hotness of his stomach.

David looked up to see the twisted mad look of Vladimir's insanity, caught on waves of lustful ecstasy. David could not react. He could not scream or do anything as he felt his blade's full length in his abdomen and the point piercing the skin on his back.


End file.
